Elections for the University of Idaho ASUI Senate will begin on Wednesday, April 8, at noon, and continue through Friday, April 10, until 5 p.m. Students will receive an email in their student email to vote for both ASUI Senators and ASUI President and Vice President. There are seven open seats and five candidates running for these positions. ASUI Senate terms last for one year, and seats go up for re-election every semester. The senate consists of 14 elected senators led by the Senate Pro Tempore.
Below are the confirmed candidates for ASUI Senate positions.
Isaias Vera-Ramirez is a freshman pursuing a climate change and solutions major and a first-generation student. Vera-Ramirez said he has a lot of leadership experience from high school, including involvement in student council, the President of the Future Hispanic Leaders of America and was a part of the Random Acts of Kindness club. He said he was inspired to run for an ASUI Senate position because of his high school leadership experiences, and how that helped him find his voice.
If elected to the ASUI Senate, he said he plans to advocate for representation of all UI students and address challenges that hinder student success.
“I discovered that the highest percentage of college dropouts here at UI are sophomores. I believe it is because they are given less resources than in their freshman year… As a senator, I plan to address challenges like these and ensure all students have the support they need,” Vera-Ramirez said in an email interview with The Argonaut.
More information on Vera-Ramirez’s campaign can be found on his Instagram @isaias4asui.
Shirlyn Ngure currently works as a residence associate and is a tutor for introductory math at the Math Assistance Center. Ngure said that these two experiences help her protect students’ wellbeing and work with student concerns. She said she also has leadership experiences serving as the membership chair for National Society for Black Engineers, as a mentor for the honors program and served as a peer educator focused on health issues.
If elected to the ASUI Senate, Ngure would like to increase awareness on class placement and testing-out on certain courses, especially for international students.
“Transfer credits from international systems are often not accepted. By using existing systems… students can feel more integrated. They would not have to repeat classes they already took internationally,” Ngure said in an Argonaut email interview.
Ngure said she hopes to write bills and resolutions to that will make students’ lives less challenging.
“I could not think of a better way to make a change than joining ASUI and trying to bring solutions to those issues,” Ngure said.
Scarlett Cromwell is running for ASUI Senate as well for a senator position. According to the ASUI Instagram page, she believes in the importance of student involvement and student organizations, as well as ensuring that student communities are inclusive and welcoming to all. If she was elected, she said she would work create a new student involvement fair. The Argonaut reached out to Cromwell for comment and received no response.
Miguel Albor is a freshman political science major who said she is running for ASUI Senate to improve campus safety and club co-operation with ASUI. Albor has leadership expertise from her time in high school, with clubs and organizations such as the future Hispanic Leaders of America, Student Council, National Honors Society and Business Professionals of America. He also served as the varsity tennis captain of his high school team.
“I can get along with just about everyone. Wherever I go, I always find myself making new friends… And being an outgoing person makes it easy for me to meet new faces, and chat with them,” Albor said in an email interview with The Argonaut.
If elected to the ASUI Senate, Albor said he wants to work on making crosswalks safer by implementing flashing crosswalk signs, help students learn more about what campus has to offer and work with clubs and UI organizations such as Greek life or campus resources.
Albor also stated that he was inspired to run for ASUI Senate by current senator Emilie Guardado.
“She helped push me to run for office to gain more experience in a legislative and leadership position,” Albor said.
More information on Albor’s campaign can be found on his Instagram @miguelforasui.
Rainey Roecker is running for ASUI Senate and is a double major in marketing and music performance. According to the ASUI Instagram page, if elected, he would like to advocate for transgender voices and provide them with resources, such as increasing visibility of gender-neutral bathrooms to keep them safe. He would also like to further advocate for mental health services on campus. The Argonaut reached out to Roecker for comment and received no response.
Josie Adjanohoun can be reached at [email protected].