Senators

Sam Bezek

Some student basketball fans and UA seniors could be celebrating if Bezek becomes an Associated Students senator.

Bezek, a political science senior, wants to move the student section in McKale Center closer to the basketball court. He also wants to force UA instructors to admit seniors who want to take their classes.

But Bezek said he does not have a specific plan of attack.

"I'll just do the Shawshank Redemption thing," he said. "I'll keep hammering at it and find a way to do it."

One possibility, however, is to address the basketball-seat issue by holding a forum between Tucsonans who attend games and UA students, Bezek said.

He said the discussion will help Tucson residents understand why students are entitled to a better view.

Shane Brogan

Brogan said his campaign is focused on unity between the University of Arizona and the surrounding community.

The retailing and consumer studies junior said he would like to attend neighborhood association meetings and Tucson City Council meetings to create more dialogue between UA and the city.

"There's no forum where we sit down with city officials," he said.

Brogan is a member of Chain Gang Junior Honorary, Kappa Alpha fraternity and Arizona Ambassadors.

Brogan said he is in favor of the "Penn State Pulse" plan - a change in the ASUA constitution that would require senators to solicit student opinion before voting on resolutions.

"They (senators) are wasting time on issues," he said. "Surveying would help senators be responsible to the entire community."

Julie Burkhart

Burkhart wants to see UA students become more politically active on state and national levels.

If elected to ASUA Senate, Burkhart, a philosophy and political science junior, said she would lobby to host a U.S. presidential primary debate on campus.

But Burkhart, like many of her colleagues, said she is disappointed in ASUA's lack of political spirit.

"I want to see more pro-active than reactive," she said, adding that the Arizona Students Association has fallen short in its duties to successfully organize students.

In response, Burkhart said she will organize letter-writing campaigns and bus trips for protest events.

Michael Dobbs

Dobbs, a molecular and cellular biology junior, said he would like to increase senators' accountability by punishing those who miss meetings and office hours.

Dobbs said he would like to see 20 percent pay cuts for unexcused absences in order to keep ASUA senators accessible to students.

"We're up there to work for the students," said Dobbs, who is a member of the Pride of Arizona Marching Band, Residence Hall Association and Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-med fraternity.

As an ASUA senator, Dobbs said he will also increase funding for the organization's Escort Service by consolidating and eliminating some ASUA offices.

Lauren Beth Hickey

Hickey wants to see healthy, well-advised students who have adequate childcare at the University of Arizona.

If she becomes an ASUA senator, Hickey said another top priority would be increasing student involvement in UA activities.

"I would like to see if ASUA could plant a calendar (of campus events) in the (Arizona Daily) Wildcat at the beginning of every month," she said. "The student body needs to be better informed of events and plan ahead for them."

Hickey, a molecular and cellular biology sophomore and Alpha Delta Pi sorority member, said ASUA's childcare funding requests need to be honored by the UA administration.

Scott Lavit

Lavit would like to increase ASUA Senate accountability by creating geographic districts within the UA campus.

The business management freshman said he would also like to hold forums between off-campus students, greek life and clubs and organizations to foster better communication.

Lavit, a state officer for Delta Epsilon Chi - a marketing and business club - and a member of the UA Flying Club, said he would also like to see better communication between senators and residence halls, and would like to see students' opinions solicited by ASUA officials.

"More opinion polls need to be taken," he said.

Dwight Maloney

Maloney said his focus as an ASUA senator would be student outreach.

The business management freshman said he would like to see senators hold one Senate meeting each month and at least two office hours per week on the UA Mall.

"Seeing the senators - getting to know them - would make students think 'maybe this person really does care,'" Maloney said.

Maloney, who is a member of the Business and Public Administration Student Council and the Student Regent Task Force, said he would also like to aid Sen. Ben Graff in making the I.N.P.U.T. forum a permanent ASUA project.

Maloney also said he would work to implement more checks and balances within the ASUA system to "maintain that people are doing their jobs."

Amanda Martin

Martin said her top priority as an ASUA senator would be expanding the student section in McKale Center.

Martin, a biology sophomore, said rather than increasing student seats at basketball games, she would like to place all students together to create better "ambiance."

"I know it's been tried before, but I don't think anyone sat down with a seating chart and figured out ways it could be done," she said.

Martin, who is a volunteer at the campus wellness center and a mentor for at-risk youth, said she would also like to improve UA's retention rates and focus on obtaining a childcare facility for students.

Sam McConnell IV

McConnell, a management information systems junior, wants to mend ASUA's image - with student help.

The Babcock dorm hall government president and a Management Information Systems Association member said student input is vital to improve ASUA.

"We've got to fix it, and we've got to fix it pretty quick," McConnell said. "We need to make sure we fix it right."

McConnell also hopes to keep students more informed on campus issues such as the new Memorial Student Union and the Integrated Learning Center.

He said he would focus specifically on keeping Gallagher Theatre in the new union.

Erik Mullner

Mullner wants students to become more active in the university system.

Mullner, an anthropology junior, said he would use his position as an ASUA senator to help more students become activists.

He said he would also like to unify the UA campus by increasing communication between the Residence Hall Association and ASUA.

Mullner, who is a member of RHA and Kaibab-Huachuca hall government, said he would also like to see more forums for student opinion.

"Students need to have more of a say in resolutions," Mullner said.

Ahmad Sa'ad Nasim

Nasim, a German studies and molecular and cellular biology junior, said, if elected, he would like to improve communication between students and Residence Life.

Nasim, who is president of the Muslim Students Association and a resident assistant, said Residence Life should consider the needs of dorm dwellers.

Nasim said he would also like to help voice the concerns of minority, international, handicapped and learning-disabled students.

"We need to do more than just give them politically correct names," he said.

If elected, he will also push for more investigation into violence and hate crimes on the UA campus, and will urge university officials to hire more effective teaching assistants.

Nick Nelson

Nelson never wants to be in ASUA's offices.

He plans to hold his mandatory office hours and ASUA Senate meetings on the UA Mall.

"ASUA needs to go out and find more students to get involved," said Nelson, an MIS and economics sophomore.

Nelson said he wants to see student government officials seek out campus clubs and invite members to take part in ASUA activities.

"If you go to them and show interest in them, they will have an interest in coming to you," he said.

Tiffany Podbielski

If she becomes an ASUA senator, Podbielski wants to decrease apathy and disgust among UA students.

"Not only do they (students) not care, but they're disgustedly not caring," said Podbielski, a political science and journalism freshman.

Academic advising, Podbielski said, needs to see some improvements so that students can be better informed when they leave an advisory session.

"Advisors have too much to do," she said. "They're not concentrating on advising students."

Podbielski said the UA needs to ensure that advisors are equipped to offer advice on many university issues, as opposed to one specific department.

Ray Quintero

Student communication with ASUA and increasing the organization's visibility weigh heavily with Quintero. Quintero, a marketing and finance sophomore, wants to restructure the ASUA Senate in a way that he feels would achieve those goals.

"We know it's not working," he said. "We need to look at something we can do to represent students now."

He said students also need to make an effort to become involved in campus organizations, and freshmen must feel a sense of community at the UA.

"Students aren't being represented by ASUA," he said. "A lot of students are intimidated to go to ASUA offices."

Ryan Roa

Roa, ASUA appropriations board director and member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, said he wants to give the Senate a try so he can continue some of its current projects.

Roa, a biochemistry senior, said he supports ASUA Sen. Ferdie Echiverri's "Buffett by the Bay" program - which encourages students to socialize on-campus to the tunes of Jimmy Buffett.

But students' children are also a priority with Roa.

He said the childcare funding issue must be stressed, and pressure should be placed on the UA administration to help subsidize campus services for student parents.

"If we keep pushing this issue, it will go through," he said.