ASUI Senate applications due Thursday

ASUI Senate will continue to accept applications to fill seven open senate seats until 6 p.m., Thursday.

ASUI Communications Board Chair Austin Karstetter said they are looking for a pool of at least 15 applicants for seven paid positions to start in January. Voting is Nov. 16-18.

Immediately following the Thursday application deadline, ASUI will host a training to introduce candidates to the people they will be working with.

“We want anyone, as long as they want to make the student experience better,” he said. “We want people to get involved and stay involved.”

Applicants need 25 signatures and either a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 or a recent GPA of at least 3.0, Karstetter said. He said they are looking for anyone who wants to be involved in a leadership capacity, and freshmen are more than welcome to apply.

Karstetter was a freshman when he joined ASUI and became Pro-Tempore the following semester. He said one of the purposes of staggering elections is to make sure new senators have experienced legislators to go to for help.

Karstetter said he likes having people join as freshmen and stay for their whole undergraduate college career to reduce the rate of turnover and create experienced student leaders. He said students who disagree with ASUI”s policies and actions are still encouraged to run and have won in the past.

“That”s what the Senate is here for,” he said. “The more arguments the better.”

Karstetter said his favorite thing about ASUI is that senators are given a wide range of ways to contribute.

“You can do whatever you want – write bills and resolutions, work with the administration or plan events,” he said.

Senator McKenzie MacDonald, appointed earlier this year to fill resigned senator Mike Ryan”s position, is among those applying for a position and will be running with Tanner Beymer.

“Because we will be campaigning, everything will be public, which I am particularly excited for because I get the opportunity to interact and share our ideas with students directly,” she said.

In the time leading up to elections, Karstetter said ASUI will hold open forums for candidates to explain their platforms.

ASUI Elections Coordinator Bailey Brown said they will hold two forums in the Idaho Commons and one at the Greek presidents” council. She and Karstetter are also working to hold one with the Resident Hall Association.

Brown said that the time commitment is at least five hours a week, including at least one regular office hour.

All undergraduate students will be able to vote for their favorite seven candidates through a link they receive by email. Karstetter said the ballot will also have a poll attached to gauge student opinions on individual issues.

Though ASUI has been working to review and reform their current redistricting process, the project is not ready and this election will go forward with the current system that favors equal representation of Greek and non-Greek students in close races.

Karstetter said he has benefited from his experience in ASUI and enjoyed the networking skills he learned from his time as a senator.

“Some people choose to just do the classes,” Karstetter said. “But these days employers look for people who are involved and have leadership experience.”

Nishant Mohan can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NishantRMohan

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