By The Beacon Editorial Board
President and Vice President: With years of experience in student government, juniors Colin Dorwart and Katie Scally are the most experienced and most qualified. They possess a firm handle on the workings of ASUP and have consistently demonstrated their ability to come through on their promises.
It goes without saying that Dorwart and Scally are involved on campus. Both promise to build on these connections to expand the visibility and impact of ASUP. Their intent to work with The Beacon, KDUP and the Moreau Center all highlight this commitment.
Enthusiastic and in touch with the campus, both candidates have campaigned like no other; visiting hall council meetings as part of their promise to draw more into the ASUP fold. Dorwart and Scally show time and again they have no time lag in getting things done.
Scally co-sponsored a revision of the sexual misconduct policy to protect victims of sexual assault. Dorwart helped write the Bell Tower resolution and co-sponsored the fireside chat with UP President Fr. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C. Both voted against the unjust smoking ban and both found the funds for the campus crosswalk.
All of these accomplishments came about because Dorwart and Scally did their job: they listened to students.
Increasing student involvement and interest at UP is no small feat. To pull it off, they must do more than lead; they must inspire. We think they're up to the task.
Treasurer: As par for the course, junior Brendan Garlinghouse possesses valuable experience interning in an accounting and finance department. He can take that experience and apply it to ASUP.
While the other candidate, junior Ben Thompson, may have a more diverse accounting portfolio, Garlinghouse's lesser experience is not necessarily a handicap. Experience can be a double-edge sword, specifically when your impressive resume includes current time commitments to other jobs. Garlinghouse's experiences do not clash with his ability to take on this new task. He has more time to commit, and the position is not one to take on lightly.
Between the two, Garlinghouse produced a more clear and concise plan for auditing club finances; a plan discussed for years, but never fully implemented. Like every other position, the treasurer must come with plans that extend beyond preserving the status quo.
Secretary: Beyond her experience with ASUP and other parts of the community, junior Hillary Burelle's ideas inject new ambitions that mesh well with those of candidates Dorwart and Scally.
The role of ASUP secretary involves more than transcribing notes, and she makes a point to acknowledge this fact. Hillary's promise to broadly disseminate ASUP events and resolutions on campus and online is a necessary step to draw students more into the fold of ASUP.
CPB Director: Running unopposed, sophomore Hillary White's election is likely assured, but her campaign platform still requires some much-needed beefing up. Although her prior work in CPB showcases her experience and knowledge, her initiatives so far seem to be unambitious.
White's plan to bring back the River Run is a good start and we hope she expands her initiatives to other feats. It's worth bearing repeating that candidates must offer ideas beyond propping up and tweaking what's already in place.
