DAVID HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat ASUA president J.P. Benedict, Cattracks coordinator Amber Harryman, and

Student Body President J.P. Benedict is saving a seat for you at his lunch table.

Benedict, in a move he said is modeled after Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats, is inviting students to come to his lunch table every other Monday to talk to him about anything they want.

"A lot of people enjoyed him opening up," Benedict said of the former president, whose fireside chats aired on the radio in the '30s.

"Cat Chat," which is part of Benedict's efforts to fulfill his campaign promise of reaching out to students, started this week and will continue every other Monday as long as they are successful.

"If it's successful, there is no reason to not keep on having it until the end of next

semester," Benedict said.

Five students at a time will be treated to a free lunch with Benedict where they can talk for 45 minutes. Benedict said he will be more candid than usual.

"If the student has a particular issue that's great. If they just want to meet me that's great too, I really just want to talk to everybody," Benedict said. "I want to reach out to students who are not exposed to ASUA all the time. Reaching them and getting them here is the hardest."

Although David McMullan, an undeclard freshman, said that Cat Chat is a good idea because it gives students a choice to voice their opinions, he said he doesn't think the lunches will do any good.

"Even if students tell him what issues they have he can't do anything. The school is so firm, they won't listen to anything we have to say," he said.

Nevertheless, students have various issues they would be interested in talking to him about.

"I would talk to the student body president about adding more activities to the school on weekends, like big pimpin' night for clubbin' folks," said Robert Cain, a studio art sophomore.

Michelle Harriman, an undeclared junior, said she wants to talk to Benedict about campus safety and health issues that concern her.

"Everything else is secondary," Harriman said.

Some students said they would rather spend the time learning about what Benedict does.

"I'd meet with him to see what he can do and what authority he has," said Nathan Schwant, undeclared freshman.

Benedict said one of his goals is to educate students.

"It's a way for me to educate students on ASUA and me," Benedict said. "They can get a glimpse of what ASUA does and maybe it will attract more students."

Benedict said he hopes the chats will give him a chance to get feedback from the students, whether the feedback is good or bad.

He also said he wants not only students who are involved, but students whom he normally wouldn't interact with.

Students can sign up for lunch with Benedict by visiting the ASUA Web site at www.asua.arizona.edu and clicking the Cat Chat link.

Students will have lunch with Benedict according to when they signed up.