Alistair Chapman's mother has always told him to "go the extra mile."
And Chapman, a physiology and molecular and cellular biology senior, said he has done nothing less during his four years with the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.
"My work ethic will be directly reflected if I get elected as president," he said.
Chapman said he was originally a shy and intimidated freshman when he entered student government for the first time as an ASUA basketball league coach for fifth-graders. But he was welcomed with open arms into student government, and eventually his participation in ASUA changed his college career, he said.
After that experience, Chapman said he found a new passion in life for student government.
Eventually Chapman took charge of the basketball league coaches and did behind-the-scenes work with the Big Event, a campuswide philanthropy. He served as the director of the Student Health Advisory Committee, increasing the number of members from seven to 40. He also started collaborating with Campus Health Service.
But it is his most recent position as task force director for the Arizona Students' Association, the student lobbyist organization, that prepared him to run for president.
Chapman, who will be a fifth-year senior next year, wants to start a voter poll on campus and include a voter registration form in every student's welcome packet.
He also wants to lobby the Arizona Board of Regents and state Legislature to stabilize tuition. He said the cost of tuition should be predictable to protect students and their families. Because of his lobbying efforts, Chapman said he now realizes presidents must put the needs of students before their own to empower students and give them a stronger voice.
"The difficult job of president is to represent the students. As a student lobbyist, I have already had that invaluable experience," he said.
He said if he is elected president, the transition would be smooth, and he would be able to become proactive more quickly than the other candidates.
As a lobbyist, Chapman said he has already learned about complicated issues like the tuition process.
"I can take quick steps forward rather than experiencing a learning curve," he said.
He wants to make academic advisers more accountable for the advice they give to students by developing a contract they have to sign.
He said students can see his dedication on the UA Mall every day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as he campaigns for president.