ASUA Presidential candidates
Kristel Miller
English and political science sophomore
Kristel Miller decided to run for ASUA president because she noticed there were a lot of things on campus that she thought needed improvement.
"I am not the type of person that just sits around and complains about something I don't like," Miller says. "I like to be able fix the things that I am able to."
The first thing Miller would do if elected president would be to work with the ASUA Pulse Team and the governor's task force to increase the professor-to-TA ratio on campus.
"I realize this would not be something that would happen overnight, but I would like to start working on it as soon as possible," Miller says.
Miller says the reason she wants to focus on increasing the ratios is because they would have a lasting effect on the campus community, whereas something like lowering tuition will probably not happen because it is already on the governor's task force to increase.
Some of Miller's priorities for campus are increasing the efficiency of the Center for Computing Information Technology so that Student Link could be available to students 24 hours a day. Miller also wants to make it possible for students who live off campus to have access to free Internet service through Student Link.
Her other campus priority is residence hall safety. Miller says it is important for all dorms to have a CatCard scanner like the ones featured in Coronado, Pima and La Paz. She said she hopes some of the Proposition 301 funds can be used for installing the scanners.
Miller said she thought ASUA has done a good job this year addressing student concerns such as voter registration, construction and Christopher City.
She also said an area of ASUA that could be improved is spreading the word on the good things that student government does for students.
"There are students who don't even recognize our name," Miller says. "It should be the responsibility of ASUA to advertise what they are working on."
Miller is an RA at Coronado, is a current ASUA senator and is involved in two honoraries.
"I know a lot about different areas," Miller says. "Once you have been in ASUA too long that begins to be your only perspective."
- Emily Severson
Ray Quintero
marketing junior
Ray Quintero says has many ideas to improve campus life and academics for UA students, and he hopes to implement them as student body president.
In the last two years, Quintero says his experience as an Arizona Students Association lobbyist, an ASUA senator and serving on various campus committees has taught him how diverse the UA campus is.
Quintero says his first priority as president is to reach out to the students and letting them know that ASUA is there for their benefit.
"I was born and raised as a Wildcat, and through my dedication and motivation as student body president, students will feel like they are truly Wildcats too, not just college students," Quintero says.
Another idea he has is to improve the advising system for students because he knows how frustrating the process can be not only for students, but for the advisers as well.
The business college has a centralized advising system, Quintero says, and he would like to see a similar system for the rest of the colleges.
Business students can e-mail their advisers with questions and make appointments, and everything is much more organized, he added.
"I would like to continue the work I have begun this year through the Advising Task Force, and give the students something tangible," Quintero said.
Quintero says he believes that the student body president needs to know how to fight for students' rights not only as the campus level, but the state level too - which is something he boasts he has plenty of experience with.
Keeping tuition low is also something Quintero hopes to achieve during his term, and from his experience as a student lobbyist, he says he knows he has the capabilities to work with state legislators.
Cat Craze is an event Quintero also hopes to see take place while he is president.
The idea behind Cat Craze, Quintero explains, is similar to that of CatFest, which is an event to welcome back students at the beginning of the school year.
"I came to the U of A in the spring and so I didn't know about any campus clubs that were available to me," he says.
"I want all students to always be aware of ASUA and what we do," Quintero added.
- Maya Schechter
ASUA executive vice president candidates
Matt Bailey
political science and business economics sophomore
Matt Bailey is running for executive vice president because he wants to give the ASUA Senate "someone who is experienced and knows what they're doing."
One of the roles of executive vice president is to chair the Senate meetings, Bailey says, and he boasts his experience through serving as not only a senator, but this year's Senate vice-chair as well.
"I love the Senate and saw this (running for office) as an excellent way to not only make sure the Senate has someone to advocate for them and help them, but to improve our relations with student clubs and the student body as a whole," he says.
Bailey hopes to move the weekly Senate meetings to an earlier time, when more students and administrators are still on campus. He also wants to provide clubs with an online tutorial so they can have step-by-step instructions when applying for funding.
Setting up an online meeting maker is also one of Bailey's ideas for helping clubs make appointments to ensure the necessary people - such as the club advocates and himself - will be available.
Bailey is well-aware that many students do not know what ASUA is, and he plans on putting himself and the senators "out there to make sure everyone knows what we're here for."
While campaigning, Bailey heard students complain that they only hear about ASUA when elections time comes and they see all the posters and signs for candidates.
"If that means that we'll have to make sheet banners about our Senate meetings so students know about them, then we will. We can not expect students to come to us, we have to go to them."
"We need to break down the wall between students and us," Bailey added.
- Maya Schechter
Sam Chang
business junior
Sam Chang says his position as a club advocate helped him to see an outside point of view of the position of ASUA executive vice president.
"I loved helping to get clubs get started," Chang says. "I think if I was the executive vice president I would get things done."
Chang says the first thing he would do if elected is go out to every club and tell them the ASUA positions available. He says this would bring in new perspectives to the senate.
"I am an enthusiastic person," Chang says. "I want to reach out to students and make sure the senate is accountable to the student body."
Relying on the Pulse team would help Chang see what clubs and organizations want. He would also like to work with a presidents' club made up of students and club presidents.
Chang wants to fund more community service projects through the use of corporate sponsors.
"Last year too many clubs were denied by the (ASUA) Appropriations Board," Chang says. "If we could develop corporate sponsorship, we could get funding for more of these organizations."
Chang has also organized several philanthropic activities. He helped organize a blood drive, a rummage sale to help businesswomen, a shuttle to take students to and from the voting polls and helped plan this year's legislative conference at the State Capitol.
Planning the voter registration drive and the voter shuttle were two things Chang says he felt were great accomplishments.
"We took 2,400 students to the polls on Election Day," Chang says. "It was awesome. We took so many people, they couldn't close on time."
Other campus involvement include co-director of the Arizona Students Association, Kappa Sigma philanthropy chair and Chain Gang junior honorary member.
- Emily Severson
ASUA administrative vice president candidates
Brandon D'Angelo
undeclared sophomore
Brandon D'Angelo says he is the best candidate for administrative vice president because he has actual experience with the position's programs.
"I've been on the front line - I know what works and what doesn't," he said.
Through volunteering for ASUA's Escort Service, Spring Fling's security and ASUA/RHA's youth basketball league, D'Angelo says he has learned how to work both with people and under them.
D'Angelo says he has noticed that many programs under the administrative vice president are weak and do not have direction, something he plans on changing if elected.
"I want to get things started off right and make sure ASUA is doing what they're supposed to do," he said.
The Escort Service is just one area D'Angelo says he would like to improve by adding more phone lines to limit the time students have to wait to get through.
He would also like to extend the boundaries to include the Safeway on East Broadway Boulevard so that students who don't have access to a car can go grocery shopping.
To better serve the students, D'Angelo says he plans on publishing monthly reports of his programs and services so students will be aware of everything.
"I can help make everyone knows what's going on and ensure that things happen the way they should," D'Angelo said.
Improving communication and organization within the services and programs under the vice president are D'Angelo's priorities, both of which he said he has learned through his experience with ASUA.
- Maya Schechter
Tricia Williams
political science junior
Tricia Williams' experience on various advising boards has led her to understand a variety of perspectives on campus, she says.
She is currently one of four students working on the Academic Advising Task force and on the recreation advisory board.
The first thing Williams would do if elected ASUA administration vice president is go out to UA clubs and organizations to tell them of the positions available in ASUA.
She says as the vice president, she would propose ideas to the Senate and make sure to work with everyone to get things done.
One of the events she would like to see happen would be a club fair on the UA Mall.
"This would introduce students to the programs and services available at this university. Right now students have to search for clubs they are interested in. It should be the other way around," Williams says.
Williams also sees extending the hours of the ASUA Escort Service as a priority. She would like to continue her work with the Parents Association and the Alumni Association to raise money to extend the hours.
The main reason she wants to be the administrative vice president, she says, is because as a senator, she saw things that were not getting done that she thought she could do - such as allocating more money to student clubs.
"I would revitalize the administrative position," Williams says. "I am highly motivated and a hard worker."
Williams says it is important to get corporations to sponsor campus clubs.
"If we can get outside people to donate money that would be great because there are so many deserving clubs on this campus," Williams says.
- Emily Severson
