Officials begin selection of cabinet members

Associated Students President-elect Tara Taylor, Administrative Vice President-elect Ryan Rosensteel and Executive Vice President-elect Cisco Aguilar will make their choices after interviewing applicants.

More than 120 students requested applications for 10 presidential cabinet positions, Taylor said.

"I'm looking for a variety of people," said Taylor, a political science and public management junior and the current administrative vice president. "I want people who have been involved in different facets of campus."

Taylor said she will make her choices in two rounds.

The first round consists of primary positions in the presidential cabinet, like the two University of Arizona directors of the Arizona Students' Association who handle legislative affairs. The second round includes roles that do not include hefty time commitments, such as a position in academic affairs, and the Student Recreation Center advisory representative.

Other presidential cabinet positions include the special events director, who organizes concerts and other student activities, the elections commissioner and the treasurer, who maintains ASUA's budget.

Stipends for workers in the presidential cabinet total $24,500, and ASUA President Gilbert Davidson said it's money well spent.

"The cabinet I have now is extremely efficient and accomplishes a great deal for students," he said.

University of Arizona clubs and organizations rely on the executive vice president's cabinet to be their voice. Aguilar will hire three club advocates and six Appropriations Board members.

The administrative vice president has 11 positions to fill, including the director of the Bisexual, Gay, and Lesbian Association, the executive director of Spring Fling and the Escort Service director.

Except for the six Appropriations Board members under the executive vice president, all first-round cabinet positions receive stipends - a problematic concept for some critics of the Associated Students who have called for the abolition of stipends.

In the past, nepotism has also been an issue.

In September 1996, Erin Russell, former vice president for clubs and organizations, appointed her brother to the Appropriations Board, causing rejected members to question the integrity of the appointment procedure.

ASUA Adviser Jim Drnek said he knows of no rules against nepotism, but the panel interview system, consisting of the officer and at least three other people, prevents unfairness.

"They do a good job of keeping the process open," Drnek said. "It's hard to choose between good people."

Taylor said she hopes to have her first-round decisions for the presidential cabinet made by Friday or Monday.