With fall elections a week away, CU Student Government is looking to attract student voters who want to see changes made at CU.
CUSG Elections Commissioner Danielle Warly handles the tickets and the election progress. She said for the fall there are five positions available for representative at large, the members who handle student interests.
“They serve on a joint board, which is the UMC board or recreation board or health board with Wardenburg,” said Warly, a 20-year-old junior international affairs major. “They listen and pay attention and they’re supposed to get a taste of what’s important to the students in that sector of the university.”
She said the representatives, who also serve on Legislative Council, then meet and discuss allocation of student funds.
LEEDS School of Business and the Arts and Sciences Student Government will also be filling positions during the elections next week. Warly said CUSG, LEEDS and ASSG will be using the electronic voting system iVote.
The names of the candidates on each ticket were released last week after the candidates meeting Oct. 6.
Students run on tickets together.
“As far as a ticket goes you can have up to five people on a ticket, because there are five positions available and you run together if you have similar types of ideas,” Warly said.
She said dividing into similar groups helps facilitate the candidates in advertising themselves to get the word out about their campaign.
Each ticket is taking a different approach in campaign styles and audiences targeted.
Demi DeLoach, a 20-year-old junior international affairs major, is a member of the Refresh ticket and running for the ASSG board member position. She said she wants to encourage her peers to become more knowledgeable about the school and the services provided to them through the College of Arts and Sciences.
“I would like to bring progression and sustainability to ASSG by guaranteeing excellence,” DeLoach said. “I’m looking to attract an audience that supports diversity and wants to be knowledgeable of the multifaceted environment that we live in at CU.”
She said she has been reaching out to the student body by physically attending group meetings and presenting her platform. She recently attended meetings with the MECha, Black Student Alliance and the Muslim Student Association. DeLoach said she plans to visit the South Asian Student Association, Persian Student Organization and African Student Association as well as members of Greek life.
She said her ticket also plans to reach out to freshmen by going to the residence halls and speaking to them.
“We feel that it is very important to get freshmen involved in their campus and in elections,” DeLoach said. “Even if it takes going door to door.”
She said her goals include informing women of campus-safety resources, getting students involved in and aware of the opportunities they have at CU and bringing cultural awareness to her peers.
Independent candidate Brittany Hallet said she is using a different method from DeLoach in her campaign.
“My approach to reach voters during this election will be to post fliers around the school so people can connect a name with my face,” said Hallet, an 18-year-old freshman double-major in business and political science. “I also will participate in various interviews so readers can connect with me as a candidate and know the platform I stand on.”
Hallet is running for CUSG representative. In this position, she said, she will work with other representatives and senators passing legislation to improve student life on campus and to maintain policies already in effect.
“My biggest goal is going to be safety,” she said. “There have been too many concerning issues on campus already, and I believe more measures need to be set in place to prevent these occurrences.”
Hallet said she also plans to work to fight cuts in higher education.
Speaking for the Excel ticket, Brooks Kanski, a 20-year-old junior economics and neuroscience major, said his primary focus is to increase voter turnout and improve the voting patterns the school has seen from the student body in the past.
“It is our duty to educate students on current issues impacting them,” Kanski said. “If we do that effectively, students will realize what it takes to strive for enhanced value.”
He is running for CUSG representative. He said the Election Commission has put in place the tools to contribute to higher voting participation and it is the campaigning candidates’ responsibility to support the commission.
“It is the student voices who must be heard and we can do so via higher voter turnout,” Kanski said.
Kanski, DeLoach and Hallet were consistent in emphasizing two key ideas when it came to their opinions concerning the election. They are looking to improve the university through the student body’s requests as well as to increase voter turnout.
Hallet said she wants to be an active participant in making CU a better place.
“I feel this election is going to be key,” she said. “I believe I have something to offer to all types of students and would like to accommodate all of their needs and concerns.”
A rookie to the campaign process, DeLoach said she is looking forward to being a part of the election.
“This is my first year running for any student government position and I plan on putting my all in to this campaign,” she said.
Warly said it is important to get more of the student body involved in voting, especially with the spring recreation center referenda approaching.
“Not a lot of people know about CU Student Government and what we do,” she said. “We want to get as many great individuals running who are really passionate about their goals who are really dedicated to make a difference with students.”
Elections will be held though online voting Oct. 25 – 29.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Carli Auran at Carli.auran@colorado.edu.
