By Daniel Scarpinato & Kaila Wyman
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Tuesday Feb. 26, 2002
Cast your ballot online at the ASUA Web site: www.asua.arizona.edu Or go to the voting station between the Student Union Memorial Center and the Second Street Garage.-
Duties of senators: - Elected to serve entire student body. - Serve on student and administrative committees to represent their constituency. - Allocated a special projects fund to put on programs and events. - Use student input to address campus issues.
Editor's note: The Arizona Daily Wildcat asked each of the 17 candidates for Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senate to submit information about themselves and their campaign platforms. The following profiles are based on their answers. Candidate Rishi Sarna did not submit a response.
Adam Bronnenkant
engineering physics junior
Adam Bronnenkant wants to improve campus transportation by redirecting CatTran shuttle routes and making garages more accessible after dark.
A director of the ASUA Appropriations Board, Bronnenkant said he is familiar with how ASUA works.
"I am a problem solver," he said. "I analyze things from every angle."
Bronnenkant said that, if elected, he will work closely with Parking and Transportation Services to redirect CatTran to drop students off at a centralized location on campus.
From there, students could use the shuttle's current routes to get around campus. This would alleviate campus parking problems, he said.
Bronnenkant's other main issues include increasing awareness of the Arizona Students' Association, raising more money to fund club philanthropies and revising the parking fine system.
Colin Brown
regional development junior
Strengthening the relationship between the greek community and the university by promoting all-greek philanthropies and social events is an objective of Colin Brown.
"By organizing the greek system, the university community will be able to better realize the positive attributes that the greek system brings to the U of A," he said.
A member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Brown would like promote the intramural sports program through better advertising and easier sign-ups.
Brown would also like to work on achieving an extended fall break, an alternative SafeRide program that could act as a designated driver to prevent DUI-related events, and monthly university-sponsored social events.
Ian A. Butler
biochemistry freshman
Ian A. Butler plans on creating funding through scholarships for students to combat the rise in tuition that may occur in the fall.
By designing a scholarship search engine on the ASUA Web site and organizing a "scholarship action committee" that would oversee the allocating of scholarships, Butler plans on increasing student access to unused scholarships.
"I will take a leading role in the forming of this committee in an expedient fashion, so that it may be utilized immediately by the student body," he said.
A member of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Medical Society, Butler would also like to make senators accountable for what they promise during elections through biweekly open forums on the Mall.
Scott Cheney
biochemistry sophomore
Scott Cheney wants to let students live in residence halls for longer than thea current limit allows.
Under his plan, students would be able to live in dorms for six semesters rather than four.
As a resident assistant at Graham-Greenlee Residence Hall, Cheney said he learned first hand the importance of older and younger students co-existing.
Cheney would also like to improve advertising for campus events and concerts. He said he has new ideas to get more students involved on campus.
"Looking back to my freshman year, I wish I would have been informed of more ways to get involved and meet people around campus without having to join a fraternity," he said.
James Gosses
psychology sophomore
With parking becoming a bigger problem for students, James Gosses would like to see more Zone 1 parking options to make up for the recent lots that are currently unavailable.
By communicating with Parking and Transportation Services, Gosses would like to see either more Zone 1 spots open or the cost of passes going down.
"I, for example, now have to drive longer looking for a space and have to walk ever farther than before, now that much of the Zone 1 parking has been demolished," he said.
Gosses would like to improve club involvement by allocating more money for clubs and increase campus safety by promoting SafeRide and hiring nighttime security guards.
Will Harris
molecular and cellular biology junior
Increasing the activity of the Arizona Students' Association, the student lobbyist group on campus, is Will Harris' main goal as a senate candidate.
He said fighting state budget cuts and protecting faculty salaries are imperative in order to keep the quality of education at UA high.
Harris would work to direct more money to ASA, and he would also try to connect ASUA, clubs and the greek community through special events where they can meet - like the Club Olympics recently approved by ASUA.
Harris is a member of Chain Gang Junior Honorary and treasurer of Alpha Epsilon Delta.
"I feel my goals are obtainable, realistic and necessary to the success of the student body," he said.
Andrew B. Hottovy
business economics and finance senior
Andrew Hottovy would like to increase retention rates and the amount of school spirit at sporting events.
A current member of the Financial Management Association, Hottovy wants to shape and change the university.
"I have never been involved with ASUA and hope to bring a fresh perspective," he said.
Hottovy hopes to produce a contact list of students with their majors so that undeclared first-year students can refer to the list and talk to upperclassmen about their experiences with their majors.
He also plans on creatting a student section for basketball games, organizing school spirit shirts and increasing the number of club and organization fairs on the Mall.
Soral Karim
molecular and cellular biology freshman
ASUA senators tend to disappear from the public eye after they are elected, Soral Karim said, but he intends to change that.
Karim wants to hold biweekly meetings on the Mall so that students can voice their concerns to senators.
"If this is well-publicized, then students with true concerns can come and submit ideas to us," he said.
He said he will bring a fresh approach to ASUA, and being a first-year student, he said he has not just accepted many of the problems on campus like upperclassmen have.
Karim is currently involved in the Blue Chip Program and is a member of the Asian American Cultural Association.
Jeremy Levison
political science junior
Jeremy Levison says he is a determined, natural leader who would fight for students concerns.
He would push for more interaction between the student body and student government.
"I have so many questions concerning actions that take part at this university," he said. "I feel that the best way to get these questions answered is to become part of the direct source."
Levison was involved in student government in high school and was president of Zeta Beta Tau.
He said the main reason he is running is because he is interested in school policy and would like to have the opportunity to address students' concerns.
Stacey Nelson
English sophomore
Heightening school spirit on campus through an increase in student involvement, access to parking and awareness of available financial aid among students are Stacy Nelson's goals.
Nelson is the pledge educator of Alpha Phi Omega, a community service fraternity, and Spring Fling co-chair for Sophos Sophomore Honorary.
She would like to work closely with the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership to advertise clubs and organizations through biweekly dorm meetings aimed at plugging in students who are not already involved.
"In my experience with students in clubs, the happier, more active student is one who is involved in a part of their school outside of the classroom," she said.
Jason Poreda
political science junior
Jason Poreda hopes to put a senator on the Collaboration Board - a group made up of representatives from major campus organizations - to help strengthen the communication between different clubs and organizations.
A Residence Hall Association representative, Poreda has played a leadership role for residence halls and would now like to represent the entire student body.
By planning "Town Meetings," Poreda would like to open up more communication among ASUA, administration, clubs and organizations, and students.
Poreda also plans to improve advising and links between the administration and students.
"I am not stepping on any toes or promising something that simply can't be done. I have the experience to do the job," he said. "I know what it takes."
Travis Pritchett
pre-business junior
Travis Pritchett wants to bring more concerts to the Mall, improve union food services and ensure that some upperclassmen can live in the dorms.
"Even though there is an extremely tight housing situation for incoming freshmen, it is vital that upperclassmen live in the residence halls," he said. "Incoming freshmen need older students to help show them the ropes."
Pritchett said by keeping older students in the dorms, drop-out rates will stay low because upperclassmen serve as mentors to freshmen.
He said he will also raise money from sponsors for events on the Mall and investigate the quality of food in the Student Union Memorial Center.
Pritchett is vice president of Pima House Residence Hall, where he started the club golf team.
Evan Robinson
business management junior
Evan Robinson wants to see improved academic advising by working closely with the Task Force on Academic Advising.
A current resident assistant at Coronado Residence Hall, Robinson would like to see better trained advisers and college-specific advising.
"I can use some of the same techniques I use with residents when working with the 35,000 students at the U of A," he said.
Robinson would like to work with Residence Life so that students would not be limited to living in the dorms for their freshman year only.
To improve the visibility and accountability of ASUA, he is pushing the idea of a single senator representing each of the 10 colleges on campus.
Victoria Ruan
political science freshman
Victoria Ruan plans to expand on the work already done to increase campus safety if elected to the ASUA senate.
She said as budget cuts continue to plague the university, she wants to make sure safety issues do not get thrown on the back burner.
"We cannot compromise the safety of our student body," Ruan said.
She said she wants to educate women on resources available to them on campus.
Ruan would also like to create more communication among campus organizations so that they could reach out to more students.
Ruan is currently the sisterhood chair of Sigma Kappa sorority, and she said she believes ASUA has the potential to have a positive impact on the student body.
Daniel Suh
liberal studies sophomore
Daniel Suh's campaign focuses on a late-night food-delivery service by the Park Student Union to help protect the safety of students and offer a variety of late-night dining options.
The vice president of Primus Freshman Honorary, Suh participates in many independent community service projects.
"I am running for senate simply so I can serve the campus in a higher capacity that I believe I am well qualified and passionate about," he said.
The food-delivery service he hopes to initiate would be available to students after 11 p.m. to give them food alternatives besides pizza for late-night snacks.
Suh also plans on organizing car-pool programs, an extended shuttle service and a "buddy" program to assist first-year students in making their transition to college easier.
Peter Wand
political science sophomore
To make the presence of students known at basketball games, Peter Wand said he would create a spirit shirt to be worn at games.
"These shirts would be worn to U of A basketball games in order to create a united student presence at the games and an imposing atmosphere for visiting teams," he said.
Wand would also like to develop a Web site so that students who need to move out of the dorms can find campus-area, affordable housing. The Web site would also have student evaluations of apartment complexes.
Wand is currently vice president of the Spires Sophomore Honorary and a member of the ASUA Special Events Committee.
