By Daniel Rhine
Confidants, enthusiasts, and deviants alike -
It's that time of year around campus again. Series of laminated posters on wooden lath line the campus walkways, and candidates give out candy in The Commons in an attempt to exchange students for their vote. That's right - it's ASUP election time, and despite mixed feelings of support and apathy from varying students, all votes are weighted equally and all students at least deserve the right to find out about some of the issues concerning the population on campus.
As a member of the ASUP Senate (and a presidential candidate as well), we are always looking for ways to better involve everyone on campus. On another page listed somewhere in The Beacon, I talk about every student having their gripes and opinions on what can be done better around campus. One of the things that can help us get a better idea of what needs done is a system that lets students know that their gripes can be heard. Few know that each student has three senators on ASUP representing them - one each for their class, school, and residence (that includes you off-campus). If the president and their executive committee were allowed to keep in contact with students through e-mail or short memos, students would be able to better understand news and event on campus that are being planned by those in charge. Likewise, they could have their voices heard in the senate, which eventually communicates back up to the deans and chairpersons of the university.
In addition, through communication with students, the executive board of ASUP (particularly this presidential candidate) would have a better idea of how to spend its budget on the students. Because I've gotten to work on the Senate, as well as the Finance Committee (we give money to your clubs!), the Carryover Committee (we deal with the leftovers that wasn't spent on clubs), and the Capital Improvement Fund (basically buys one big gift for the school every year), I can say I'm the only candidate in any of the races that has dealt with the budget for student activities (that's $360,000 if you're counting on your fingers and toes). Now we all have our headstrong moments, but I can certainly come around to concede that your 3,000 sets of eyes are better than my one. Moreover, that large budget is in place because of that really cool student government fee you pay for on your tuition bill (Hooray for being nickeled and dimed!). I know we don't have any control of the fee, but we can control how it's spent. Through this system of better communication, I would personally love to hear from students (maybe even take a poll that counts on pilotsUP) about how this money should be spent, so that (if elected) ASUP didn't spend money on new couches for St. Mary's and the Pilot House for the third year in a row.
"But Dan," you say, "how can you do all this? You're a soccer player."
True. I am a soccer player. And an engineer. And a boyfriend. And a grader. And a soccer coach. And a member of all those committees and the senate. And right now I am running a campaign to be the ASUP President.
When I turned in the application to run for president, I asked some of the current ASUP Executive Board to stop me then and there if I wouldn't have enough time to do it. The two members that I talked to supported me, and said that if I didn't have enough time, it would show during the campaign. Well, I guess I had time to write this out on the side, so I must be proving equal to the task.
As things stand, I have also tried to give out candy in exchange for your vote ("Be a Smartie, vote for Dan and Alyssa!" I have also laminated posters staked out around campus (I do have to say, my grandpa is a pretty good lookin' fella!), and I've kissed every baby I've come across (thanks for lending the little one Dr. Doughty!). I've gone to my furthest extent in order to let the student population know that I feel I'm the best candidate, and that I fully understand the two biggest concerns that ASUP will face in the upcoming year.
So next Tuesday and Wednesday, when you log onto your pilotsUP account, please keep in mind Dan Rhine and Alyssa Schmidt-Carr as President and Vice-President of ASUP when you're going to vote on the top of the screen. For some odd reason, I'd rather spend my time during my senior year of college helping the student body as the university continues to expand instead of spending every other night at the T-Room. Who knows, maybe I will get the privilege of continuing to inform you of campus issues throughout the next year.
Daniel Rhine is running for ASUP President
