(CU Independent graphic/Adam Milner)
UCSU has released the unofficial list of ballot candidates for the upcoming elections, said Jason Gonzales, UCSU director of media relations.
Tri-executive candidate for the Empower Ticket, Peter Swanson, a 20-year-old junior advertising major, said he was inspired to run for a UCSU position by his experiences with club sports at CU.
“I got involved in a lot of club sports stuff and ended up as the captain of the swim team,” Swanson said. “I wanted to see what we could do to better the program and the Rec Center…things like that I really care about.”
Swanson said one of his goals as a UCSU candidate is to create a system that will allow student groups to thrive without having to raise tuition fees.
“We need to try to use the resources we have in a way that’s smart, to help groups grow without having to spend a ton of money,” Swanson said.
The CU Independent was unable to contact all candidates on the ballot.
Representative candidate for the Empower ticket, Rodrigo Gonzalez, a 21-year- old senior chemical and biological engineering and economics major, said his experience as chair of the UCSU finance board makes him an ideal candidate.
“Out of all the people running, I am the longest serving member of UCSU,” Gonzalez said. “I will be bringing a lot of experience and since I’ve worked so much with the cost centers I’m very knowledgeable about what expectations are
realistic.”
Gonzalez said he feels it is important to educate students about what UCSU provides and to address issues that students are not capable of seeing.
“We need to get students more involved,” Gonzalez said. “If students understood the amount of influence [UCSU] can have and the money we control…people can make a lot more of a difference then they thought and UCSU is the perfect way to do that.”
Tri-executive candidate for the Veritas Ticket, John (Hunter) Barnett, a 22-year- old senior finance major, said he has also served as a member of the UCSU finance board.
“I am running because, I guess like any leader, I want to make a difference,” Barnett said. “I have seen both sides of the table, knowing the issues and knowing what’s important to the students is why I’m going to run.”
Barnett said he feels the large issues facing students are higher education reforms and budget cut backs.
“Definitely one of my personal goals would be working with administration and really fighting for students,” Barnett said. “Affordability is something pretty big we should all work on.”
Fighting for students includes working with cost centers to ensure proper spending and services that meet students’ expectations, Barnett said.
Sanket Merchant, a 21-year-old finance and economics major, is also a Tri-executive candidate for the Veritas ticket.
“We need to look at ways where we can make CU more accessible to a handful of different students from all walks of life,” Merchant said.
Merchant said he is both apprehensive and excited to see how the election will unfold.
“Now that it’s here it’s kind of hard to believe,” Merchant said. “This election has the potential to reach out to a handful of students and we can truly get down to the issues students care about.”
Swanson said the election experience will be beneficial regardless of the outcome.
“Just the whole process of going through and forming a ticket is really eye-opening,” Swanson said. “You get to go out and be a part of a larger picture.”
According to the UCSU Web site, spring 2010 elections will be held from April 5 to April 9.
The official ballot won’t be released until Wednesday, according to Gonzales.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kylie Horner at Kylie.horner@colorado.edu.
2 comments
The EMPOWER ticket candidates are truly amazing. I have worked closely with a number of them and their passion and commitment to the students is unparalleled. The EMPOWER candidates that I know have never ceased to inspire me to work to the best of my abilities in support of the students and the university.
who cares