Elections for the University of Idaho ASUI Senate will begin on Monday, Dec. 8, at 8 a.m. and end on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 4 p.m. All election ballots will be filled out online through student email.
There are five open senate seats, and seven candidates running for those positions. Two of the candidates are running for reelection.
ASUI Senate terms last for one year, and seats go up for re-election every semester. The ASUI Senate consists of 14 elected senators led by the Senate Pro Tempore.
Envee Carter – Envee Carter is a freshman political science student running for an ASUI Senate seat.
Carter was part of her high school’s peer resources program and worked with a non-profit based in her community, called 5 Elements. She has also served as a student representative on the Western Association of Schools and Colleges committee in her hometown of San Fransico, California.
If elected, Carter said she wants to improve equity and access for marginalized and low-income students, strengthen cultural support and work to make campus resources more visible for students.
“Seeing how powerful student voices can be and how much change they can create motivates me to step up and represent others at the University of Idaho,” said Carter in an email interview with The Argonaut.
For more information about her campaign, visit Envee’s Instagram, @enveeforasui.
Caroline Crow – Caroline Crow is a Junior at UI running for ASUI Senate. Crow is a global business and language studies major with an emphasis in French, as well as an international studies major.
Crow has served as the Vice President of Community Relations for her sorority, Pi Beta Phi. In this position, she has reached out to the campus community and connected with the people of Moscow.
Crow said one of her main goals if elected is to increase ASUI’s connection to the many groups across campus.
“I want to guarantee weekly in-person visits by an ASUI representative to on-campus living facilities to increase active participation in ASUI events,” said Crow in an Argonaut email interview.
Her other goals include increasing marketing for student resources and helping increase equity between all student groups.
To learn more about Caroline Crow’s campaign, visit her Instagram, @carolineforasui.
Emilie Guardado – Emilie Guardado is a freshman at UI studying medical science who is seeking a senate seat to become more involved on campus, and to make a difference.
Guardado said that her experience as an older sibling, and the good example she aims to set, is something she takes very seriously. If elected, Guardado said she would like to create some speed limits or lane separation for electric scooters, which she said would make campus safer.
“I have commitment to the things that I am passionate about. I am a person of my word and if I say that I’m going to do something, I will always find a way to make it happen,” said Guardado in an Argonaut email interview.
For more information about her campaign, visit her Instagram page, @emilieforasui.
Bergen Kludt-Painter – Bergen Kludt-Painter is a UI senior running for an ASUI Senate seat who studies political science and journalism.
Kludt-Painter has served as president of the UI Chapter of the Young Democrats where she said she has gained leadership experience doing canvassing work and reaching out to voters off campus.
Kludt-Painter’s said her goals if elected include increasing student awareness of accommodations they may be entitled to, a policy proposal which would require professors to maintain recordings of lectures for students who miss classes for valid reasons and working to make ASUI a platform that would raise awareness of human rights abuses happening abroad.
“My focus on policy problems stem from both my personal experience as a student with several health conditions, and my interest in bridging support and resource gaps for all students regardless of disability status,” said Kludt-Painter in an email interview with The Argonaut.
To learn more about her campaign, visit Kludt-Painter’s Instagram, @bergenforsenate.
Andrea Leal – Senator Andrea Leal is a sophomore at UI running for re-election, having served one term in the ASUI Senate so far and is studying political science and Pphilosophy.
During her previous term, Leal worked with UI offices and programs to create a scholarship workshop with the UI Writing Center and worked with the UI Mental Health and Wellness Center for tabling events.
Leal has also sponsored and voted for bills and resolutions in support of student-run clubs.
“The time I’ve been a part of ASUI has been incredibly amazing and important. I have grown personally and professionally, and I will continue to advocate for and represent every student at U of I,” Leal said in an email interview with The Argonaut.
For more information about Leal’s campaign, see her Instagram, @andrea.for.asui.
Saul Lorenzana – Saul Lorenzana previously served on the ASUI Senate his freshman year and he wants to return in his sophomore year. Lorenzana is majoring in finance.
Lorenzana has leadership experience as the current Treasurer of Pi Kappa Alpha, where he manages financial accountability, organization, and member engagement.
Lorenzana said his goals if elected include establishing open debate and discussion spaces for students to learn from different perspectives, create additional professional development workshops for students and develop a platform for greater collaboration between students within the same major.
“If there’s one thing I want people to know about me, [it’s] that I am dependable, and willing to do what it takes to create progress,” Lorenzana said in an email interview with The Argonaut.
For more information about Lorenzana’s campaign, visit his Instagram, @saul.asuidaho.
Binod Khadka – Senator Binod Khadka is a junior at UI running for re-election, having served one term in the ASUI Senate so far and is studying accounting and management information systems.
In addition to being an ASUI senator, Khadka currently serves as the general secretary of the UI International Student Organization.
If re-elected, Khadka said he wants to focus on improving communication and transparency between students and ASUI, work on initiatives that support international students and improve financial literacy on campus.
“What inspired me to run for office is the students I interact with every day, especially those who feel unheard or unsure on how to navigate the university system. Their experiences motivate me to continue serving and to make a difference on campus,” Khadka said in an email interview with The Argonaut.
For more information about Khadka’s campaign, visit his Instagram, @binod.asui.
Senators Izaak Krohn and Zoha Aqeel will not be returning to the ASUI Senate next semester. Also leaving his senate seat, Senator Zak Knapp will be becoming the new Director of Finance.