AS Review - April 25, 2011

Election Issue

Your vote is your voice.

Elect your student leaders.

April 25-29.

10 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

encourage people in the area who are intending to rent to students to shape up, especially if they’re getting bad reviews. There should be a free education class for students, because there really is nothing we can do. Another idea I had is I don’t feel like I’ve volunteered enough, and I don’t think people realize the benefits that can come from volunteering as much. If students were required to do five hours a quarter, that’s nothing. I feel like the first two quarters they [would] see it as a burden, but then it would be, “I’m looking forward to volunteering this quarter,” and hopefully some of them would go beyond those five hours.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

I serve on the Services and Activities Committee for the Departmental Related Activities Committee, and one of the things we were talking about is when tuition goes up we can raise the S&A fee too, and that fee comes from students directly to the S&A board. It’s not state funds, it’s not getting cut, but we were thinking with students already getting that 13 percent increase in tuition we probably won’t raise it, but we can commit to providing the exact same services we’ve been providing by keeping it where it is. Even within S&A, everybody has been cutting back where they know there’s excess and shoring up their budgets for the coming times. We even have some extra money now and we’re talking about how to use that to the students’ advantage. I know that we can still provide students with the same opportunities even though we’re having budget cuts. ■

Candidates for VP for

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS education. Our primary purpose at this university is to obtain a valuable education; I want your education to be as enriched and well-rounded as possible. As your VP for academic affairs, I will foster student involvement at Western beyond the classroom, encourage working relationships between students and their administrators and ensure that the quality of your Western education continues to be the paramount duty of our university.

Julia Kelley Due to significant budget cuts from Washington state, our university is going to see great changes academically. I have the necessary knowledge of Western’s academics in order to participate in these changes, and to best preserve the quality of our

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m seeking this position because I’ve become involved with the AS in the last year, by doing student senate, Legislative Affairs Council, Facilities and Services Council, and participating in events like [Viking] Lobby Day and Western Votes rallies.

All these things have made me realize not only how important it is, but also how much I enjoy being involved at Western beyond the classroom. So, this position enables me to actively participate by speaking on behalf of Western students. I want to be our voice; I want to be the student representative to help decide how to protect Western in these tough economic times.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for academic affairs?

My role as VP for academic affairs would be to act as a liaison between students and their faculty and administration. As your vice president I would participate in decisions regarding programs to preserve, classes to cut, how to make the waitlist system more useful and even how to make the university experience richer. This position operates really behind-the-scenes, it’s not on the front lines yet it works primarily with the education that we as students of the university receive. Vice president for academic affairs embodies the voice of students on campus and ensures that faculty and administration hear those concerns, critiques and solutions when tough choices need to be made.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I think the most important issue on the table for next year is going to be dealing with the budget cuts. Currently [Washington] state legislature is deliberating over the budget; both the House of Representatives and the Senate have proposed budgets. The Senate has proposed a 13-percent increase to our tuition while the House has proposed a 16-percent increase. The cuts to higher education are a cold, hard reality that we will need to deal with next year. My values lie first and foremost with protecting the quality education and experience for students by preserving the depth of choices that we have available. Education is the primary purpose of a university and budget cuts pose a threat to the core values of our institution.

There’s no clear solution to the problem but I want to make sure the outcome of the budget cuts does not harm our educational opportunities.

The AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

The quality of the AS lies within the people who support it. The most important thing we can do in the face of budget cuts is to have a united student body, free from competition, that is willing to work towards a common goal. As a member of the board of directors I will encourage collaboration within the AS to make it more effective and useful to students. We all know that next year will be tough, continued on next page

April 25, 2011 • 11

but I will make it my personal goal to work as a team member and promote a cohesive AS because our strength lies in our alliance. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Greg Knight Western faces an unprecedented crisis. Year after year, the state government balances its budget by raising tuition and defunding education. These budget cuts are the number one threat to Western’s academic programs.

Education funding doesn’t have to be cut at all if the government would simply tax corporations and billionaires. Instead, the government granted corporations over $300 million in tax breaks in February.

Simply writing and calling corporately funded politicians hasn’t stopped the budget cuts. We need a fighting strategy. We need to organize rallies, marches, student walkouts and sit-ins ̶ tactics that have halted budget cuts in other states. The biggest responsibility for the VP for scademic sffairs now should be to build a massive, determined movement of students against these cuts.

Why are you seeking this position?

Well, the reason I am seeking the position of AS VP for academic affairs is to represent the student body’s interest. In that, my main goal is to combat budget cuts and tuition hikes, and while it may not necessarily be the specific job description for the position I’m running for, it is what the students

care about. And I really want to change that; I want to kind of step outside the status quo tradition and actually step outside of what my position description is and fight on top of that for what the students want, which is not just to accept the inevitability of budget cuts, but to actually fight the budget cuts and to help mobilize students to get involved and educated about what’s happening with their money, why their tuition is going up… to represent the students’ interests in fighting budget cuts is my main priority.

What do you think is the role for the vice president for academic affairs?

The role of VP for academic affairs has traditionally been the role of mitigating cuts or mitigating the budget after it has been decided on, to mitigate it in such a way that it is the least detrimental to the students as far as the academic impact and curriculum impact. I think that the real goal of academic affairs is to not just deal with the cuts that are going to be passed along the desk, but to actually send out mass emails to students: “This is the proposed cut,” or “This is what the AS board is proposing to cut from your curriculum.” I guess to summarize, I see the role of the VP for academic affairs to be one that includes the student body in the decision-making, but also to be an authority that can unite the student body to come together and help combat these cuts.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I can’t say it enough: budget cuts. It’s something that’s been addressed pretty regularly, but it’s something that hasn’t really been addressed in an effective way. I think the goal for next year’s board is to not only deal with the inevitability of the cuts, like the presidents proposed at the debate. That is not what the board should be doing. The board should be doing what the students want, and the students want no more cuts to education, no more tuition hikes. That’s something that I will very much be pressuring the other members of the board next year to do, to really find new ways to mobilize students, to get the student body involved and actually get numbers of people and combat the cuts, not just sit back and accept them.

This year the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you maintain the quality of AS programs, services and

events if these budget issues continue?

What I would do is to pull the student body in, to include them in the process, to let the students know what decisions are on the table that are directly affecting them and their education experience. And like I said, to not just sit back and take the cuts but to actively search out methods that have been proven to be effective in the past to fight the cuts— whether that be student walk-outs, sit-ins—things that we know for sure have worked consistently in the past at other universities, like in California or Puerto Rico. We know for a fact those tactics work. So I would be putting a lot of pressure on the other board members to help me get other students involved to use tactics that we’ve seen work in the past because only then can we actually properly represent the students’ interests. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Fabiola Arvizu Academics unite us all as Western students.

This upcoming year, I will work with peers and administrators to outreach what academic affairs encompasses and how we can positively impact our education. I believe in the power of student representation and together we can reflect our concerns as students.

Budget cuts have become an undeniable part of our academic future. However, I am committed to working towards keeping class sizes low, improving continued on page 14

12 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

Gender/Gender identity 31 percent

The Candidates

female/femaleidenti�ied

69 percent male/maleidenti�ied

Prior involvement in the Associated Students

AS Review election survey

12 percent NO

88 percent YES

Age

19-20 years old 21-22 years old

23-24 years old No answer 0

2

Class standing

4

6

8

10

12

Sophomore Junior Senior

No answer 0

2

4

6

8

10

April 25, 2011 • 13

6 5 4 3 2 1

Major/Intended area of study Political Science

Communication Sociology Foreign language Economics

The following majors/categories are represented by one candidate each: American Cultural Studies, Biology, Business Management, Computer Science, Creative Writing, English, Environmental Urban Planning, Fairhaven, Finance, History, Human Services, International Relations, Law Diversity & Justice, Math, P.P.E., Pyschology, Theater Arts, Undecided, No answer.

Candidates with two majors were counted twice.

Word cloud (n.): A diagram representing the frequency of keywords given in more than 16,000 words of transcribed AS election interviews. The size of the word corresponds with how frequently it was used. Created with software from tagxedo.com

14 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

continued from page 11

the GUR system and saving necessary elective and major-related classes.

Academics go beyond the classroom and we all deserve to have a voice in how education is provided to us. Please vote Fabiola for academic affairs for the best student body representation in academics! I will be out on Red Square so let’s chat!

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m seeking the VP for academic affairs position because I am very passionate about higher education and I want to be part of a team of students who are and want to lead a strong student body.

I think that most of us don’t stop to think about the intricate bureaucratic systems that make up a university, and even less of us know how to get involved in academics beyond the classroom. So with this position I want to redefine what it means to be involved at Western by providing students with new, approachable yet effective ways of voicing opinions when it comes to academic affairs and the university at large.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for academic affairs?

I see the role of VP for academic affairs as a liaison between Western students and the university governing board. I think it’s so immensely important that students have a voice in the politics that go into the university; ultimately as students we’re the reason why universities exist. So our administrators, faculty and staff value our voices and it’s up to the VP for academic affairs team to pretty much figure out what our student body needs from WWU academics. Right now we’re facing anywhere from a 12 to 16-percent increase in tuition in the next few years and our academics are changing drastically. It’s pretty much set in stone that classes are changing and that we’re going to be seeing a restructuring of the system but it doesn’t mean that the quality of our education should be compromised. So that’s why I am here.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I would say that one issue is probably figuring out if the way our student fees are being spent is what we really want and really need. I know we’ve been assessing specific programs and organizations within the Associated Students but I think it would be nice to see each VP also assessing the ways our

fees are used. For example, [the vice president for] academic affairs is in charge of the Student Technology Fee and it would be great to see some kind of system that assesses if every year we’re putting those funds towards something we want as a collective student body. So you know, fees are very important and we want to be sure we’re using them in the best way possible.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

One of the ways I want to help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events is uniting with the rest of the VPs and the president on the board. I think at this point, it’s not a oneVP or president issue, it’s not an issue that the VP for governmental affairs can just take up on their own or with just the help of the president. It’s about all of us coming together as a collective force, as student leaders, reaching out to the entire Western community and being the leaders of a whole unit.

I think there’s strength in numbers and I hope that politics don’t get in the way of us being able to lead the way. ■

Candidates for VP for

DIVERSITY passion to drive me to eventually achieving social justice. This isn’t an option, but a must to fight and battle oppression. Join me and together we can start a revolution, overtaking the system and making it represent all aspects of DIVERSITY. Thanks for reading, I’m LaHaji Thomas… VOTE ME FOR YOUR VP OF DIVERSITY.

Lahaji Thomas Connecting the pieces of diversity to form an inclusive campus. It’s too often that we speak on diversity reducing the term to just RACE, refusing to encompass all aspects of diversity like class, gender, queer community and other identities that aren’t easily recognized by the human eye. With me in office and my vision of deconstructing and reconstructing the term of diversity, I will fight for these marginalized communities, allowing my

Why are you seeking this position?

I am seeking the VP of diversity position because I’m extremely passionate about diversity. A lot of the times people on campus recognize diversity as just the race aspect but they sort of don’t look at all the aspects of diversity like sexual orientation, class, gender, gender identity, the QSR which is the queer community, there’s a lot of aspects of diversity that aren’t recognized so I’m trying to acknowledge those issues and bring them to light and let the students know that they are here and also be the voice of those students.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for diversity?

The VP for diversity, the role is basically being the voice of those students being the pinpoint person to go to, fighting for diversity issues that do arise. Just making sure that this is a safe and inclusive campus for everybody because at the end of the day we’re all continued on next page

April 25, 2011 • 15

here to achieve higher education and there should be no inequalities.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

A big issue that continuously arises is the budget cuts and tuition raises and I think that’s going to dramatically affect diversity because one of the aspects of diversity I’d like to look at is class and class standing and things like that, and if you look at the logistics of things, when you have the lower class and tuition going up and budget cuts, they won’t have the same opportunity and privilege of coming to higher education and so by focusing on budget cuts and how we can get around that, and how we can maybe promote the scholarship center more, promote the resources that Western does have to keep those students in here so we have a diverse campus.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help

maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

What I want to do, because as the VP of diversity, you’re working on diversity issues, primarily with the ESC, that’s sort of the stigma of that position, but what I want do is branch outside the AS because yes, there is the AS but we’re also students as well, and we have resources within departments and everything like that that deal with diversity. One example is the CEED, which is the Center for Educational Equity and Diversity. I’ve interned there multiple times and I love it and they have multiple resources that the AS doesn’t, and so bringing the Western community, because if we need help, we need to ask for it, and if we don’t, we’ll never know if they can help us or not and asking doesn’t hurt so bridging those gaps and those relationships would allow us to come together and be unified as one. ■

What do you think is the role of the vice president for diversity?

My position specifically serves as the direct liaison between underrepresented students and the board of directors. And I feel that my job is to amplify the voices, perspectives and needs of students who often go unheard or unrepresented on campus. The job specifically entails chairing the ESC steering committee, advising ROP programs and working closely with the ROP director. I plan on organizing, facilitating and strategizing the most effective ways to make our voices heard in Olympia as well as D.C. If elected, I plan on creating a coalition of student representatives who will help identify and advocate for student needs to the board. I think it would be naïve of me to say that I can make this change alone and so because of this I plan on working with all groups to make sure that all voices are amplified.

Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I think the most pertinent issue affecting all students on this campus is the lack of unity and inclusivity. While it may be subtle and unnoticeable to some, I feel like those who are being left out on the margins of inclusion are feeling the impact the most. Students have confided in me about their need to feel like a part of a mainstream diversity effort to help build a coalition to help students from all different backgrounds. And I think that with budget cuts being so intense and immense changes currently happening in this institution there has to be a unified effort from students to work for the interests of those who have less representation in the school. The board of directors needs to understand and support the value of diversity programming and to make a more apparent and viable effort to support marginalized student’s needs.

and support for all identities. As VP for diversity, I charge it as my personal duty to amplify these unique perspectives, engage the ESC and ROP to create a more powerful coalition in the social justice movement, and put the voices of marginalized students at the forefront of AS board decisionmaking. Let me be your megaphone!

Stephanie Gallardo When I was a freshman, I wandered aimlessly with no direction around this campus! Since my involvement in the ESC and ROP began, I have learned how to use my voice, and empower my identity through social justice education and intense campus involvement. As someone who represents multiple marginalized identities, I understand the importance of the intersections of identity and the need for a diverse array of programming

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m seeking this position because I have worked for three years at Western to advance knowledge and diversity in various parts of campus. From these experiences, I now understand the need to create a more centralized Western diversity effort. And I think I’m the best candidate to accomplish that. As a Latino woman, I understand how marginalized students can be silenced, but the various identities that I hold have been empowered and cultivated through my leadership in the Ethnic Student Center and also the ROP programs such as “Vagina Memoirs,” “[The] Naked Truth on Stereotypes,” and each of these experiences has exposed me to different perspectives than my own and I gained a deeper understanding of the need for diverse coalitions. I’m the candidate that has the most experience and ability in working with diverse groups and I know I can best advocate and represent the needs of all students.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

As I previously talked about, I think that coalition building and unification of power and knowledge is so important and in order to keep the quality of programming high, there needs to be a shift in focus from “Let’s put certain groups and their traditions on display,” to more of a mutually beneficial continued on next page

16 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

educational exchange. I feel like you can never tell a marginalized group of people to educate the masses on their experiences because that further marginalizes them, but it’s important to value the unique perspectives and qualities they bring to the school. I definitely think there has to be more of collaboration between VPs next year. I haven’t really seen that a lot this year and I totally think that collaborations are really important in making things effective and making voices heard and understood. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Why are you seeking this position?

I think [the position] needs someone who has experience and who understands what diversity means. With me having those experiences, I have to say: Okay, the school needs somebody with experiences, why not me? Why can’t I try out and see if I can represent? I started my school, I was born in Sudan and because of war my mom left Sudan to Kenya and I went to school in Kenya.

From there, I was the minority, one of the minorities within the minority. I was the only Sudanese and I had to adapt, so I accept people based on who they are, based on whatever they are, so that I can be treated the same. So, with the issue of diversity here at Western, we have different people, different identity, different religion, different beliefs, everything is different. I wanted to help students who are not represented, who are voiceless.

and we cannot just cut everything. We have to see: What is the effect of that cut? We have to address that before we cut it. In terms of how am I going to help, the cut will affect students, and the little bit I can do is to come up with a back-up plan rather than just cut it and let it go. So, if all those cuts come up, we need to address it. We need to see the longterm effect, not just the short term. If we cannot cut it, then I don’t know what to do, but we have to address it. Like education: we cut education, and then it’s like sending us home. So if we can, cut somewhere else rather than cut important things.

So, we need to see a long-term benefit than the short-term benefit. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for diversity?

The role of VP of diversity is to represent all of the students who are minorities. The role of VP of diversity is to work as a core officer, representing the LGBT as a voting member, and as a member of the board of directors and also facilitate meetings within the ESC.

John Deng Duot My name is John Deng Duot. I am running for Associated Students vice president of diversity. I am a junior, double-majoring in LDJ (Law, Diversity and Justice) and International Relations pursuing work as lawyer and activist. I experienced the realities of voiceless people six years ago in Sudan, where I saw death, violence and families shattered by discrimination and neglect.

Currently, I am the president of the African and Caribbean Club; I represent ACC at the Ethnic Students Center presidential council. I understand the extreme consequences of underrepresentation and believe no one should be neglected or discriminated against because of his or her sexual identity, religion, beliefs, race or creed. If elected I will empower and train minority club members to become more involved leaders.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

The issue of tuition increase will be one thing that will affect our students [and] students of color here at our school which we should be focusing on next year, and as students here who may be paying their school fees through work-study, and now work-study will be gone. I think the school should focus in on getting more scholarships for minority students so that they can be here at school. If they cannot be here at school, then they might be going home and not even having a job. Also, when you sit in class you see when someone sees a person who looks different, people tend to be like, “Wow, who is this?” If we can come in here and expect to see somebody who is different from that our school will have more diversity and we will not have this problem with seeing people as others.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

Well, budget cuts are something we cannot stop,

Brad Mills My motivation for running stems from the fact that I was born and nurtured in an environment that really is a microcosm in our society. I was raised by two women and attended Metropolitan Community Church in Seattle which supports the queer community, people of color, those with HIV and AIDS, and maintains a commitment to social justice. Through my immersion in this community I gained an early commitment into fighting for the rights of those who have been suppressed in the expression of their identities. Because we as people are infinitesimal in the identities that compose each continued on next page

April 25, 2011 • 17

and every one of us as individuals, I would like to recruit student voices in order to focus on the identities in particular that are underrepresented.

Why are you seeking this position?

Well it goes back to my roots as a child. I was raised by two women and so that was kind of a unique situation. Within my family we attended Metro Community Church in Seattle. It’s an urban community church that supports the LGBT, those who are affected by HIV or AIDS, and those who are impoverished in general and it had a large range of cross sections of identities. When I entered kind of what I call the real world, I realized that not everyone was fair and accepting of all identities. I faced a lot of bullying and harassment and I wasn’t even gay, it was my parents who were. I was directly affected by abuse, and it made me want to fight for anyone who didn’t have a voice or who were being trampled or stepped on. So that’s what made me decide to run for diversity.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for diversity?

You know, diversity is an umbrella category. It represents a multiplicity of identities, and for each and every person their identities are [infinite].

Anybody can break down their identities into their constituent parts, and then break them down even

further. So I would say to really narrow it down and kind of touch on what the diversity position ideally would do is to represent those who are being marginalized. As I said before, it’s kind of like where my interest lies in inequities. So to gain an idea of who’s not fairly represented, who’s not fairly incorporated into our mosaic and to work on that in whatever way we can. … If you’re not feeling that sense of community, it can be very depressing and you can feel on the outs. It’s important that everyone gets a sense of community; that’s what I feel the role of diversity is.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

Well obviously funding cuts, and that’s a huge thing. I think especially in regards to the diversity position, one thing that I’ve thought about a lot is [undocumented] students and funding capacity to support those students, but we can’t even support students who have illegal status, and it’s just really depressing that a lot of groups, minorities in particular, are going to take a really just hard hit from this. I know that a lot of — I’m an Achievers Scholar — and luckily that is what took me to college, but with the increasing of costs and the decreasing in funding and nonprofit organizations as well, it’s just going to be drastic, and so I think

that’s something that needs to be addressed in every capacity. It’s a huge crisis in higher education that we’re facing.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

One of the major things that I’ve heard from students, particularly in regards to the diversity position, is student dinners. That’s one thing that’s major for a lot of the ESC events. The dinners bring a sense of community and a lot of students aren’t able to afford these events, and so I want to make them more affordable somehow, whether that’d be finding more sponsors [or] having a centralized sponsor group. I think just in general, alumni connections are very important. I think it’s important to foster those relationships, possibly create more mentor programs and find ways that we can fund things without tapping the resources that we have as students, because we already know that things are going to be spread really thin, so look to different horizons and see what ways I can fund without having to pull from a very kind of sparse money bank. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Visit the polling station in Red Square! Open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday-Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

18 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

Candidates for VP for

ACTIVITIES are no options available to you, which is really frustrating for me because I’ve worked within the club infrastructure so I know there are options that are available, but I just don’t think the knowledge of the availability of those options is there. So I really want to try to better the club system.

Daniel Hagen My name is Daniel Hagen, and I’m running for VP for activities to create change within the club system. I currently serve on Activities Council, Inter-Club Council and I also have the honor of being president of both Out of State Student Association and WWU’s Monsters: The Lady GaGa Club. These experiences have given me the skills I need to serve the students of Western and to improve the club infrastructure as VP for activities.

Club activities affect everybody on campus whether they attend events or not because they create a community. If you give me the opportunity to represent your voice to the board of directors, I’ll ensure dynamic changes to the club infrastructure that will positively impact Western’s community.

Why are you seeking this position?

The reason I am seeking this position is that I care about the club system. I myself am president of two clubs—Out of State Students Association and WWU Monsters: Lady GaGa Club. I’ve noticed since I’ve been president of those clubs that it’s kind of difficult to make progress within the club system, so if you want your club to be popular and you’re having a difficulty, it can really feel like there

What do you think is the role of the vice president for activities?

It’s stated that the VP for activities is the liaison between the board of directors and clubs. I see that in many ways: I see that as meaning that the VP for activities needs to not only represent club interests to the board and really vote in favor of activities and possibilities for clubs to really enrich their options.

In addition, I view the role of VP for activities to be somebody who not only advocates for, but is the strongest advocate for activities on campus.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

One of the issues that we are talking about in Inter-Club Council is the use of Blackboard, so that’s something a couple of club leaders have been working on. Another issue that I think the board of directors should address is student involvement on campus, because the whole point of the infrastructure is to create a positive community on campus and to really help students engage, give students the opportunities they need not only to find out about leadership but also get involved on campus and clubs really give them an opportunity to do that. If students don’t feel welcomed on campus or if they don’t feel like there are opportunities available for them, then they’re not going to be inspired to learn. If we can really amp up that atmosphere, we can really make Western more dynamic in general.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

You’re talking to the right man, because I’m kind of an expert on working on a budget. As president of Out of State Students Association, we are loathe to ask for money, so we really have to be careful in what we plan. We’re not spending money in ways that are wasteful or in ways that aren’t achieving the results that we want. We carefully analyze every spending decision. Speaking specifically in terms of maintaining the quality of AS programs and events, I believe as vice president for activities, it’s important that the vice president advocate for programming on campus. One of the things I’ve done through Activities Council is really challenging students to provide the best events that they can.

It’s kind of cutting out the excess but maintaining the real integrity of the event that I see as being important and it’s actually very achievable. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Rachel Bowers I am Rachel Bowers and, with your vote, your next VP for activities. A junior majoring in political science and communication, I’ve been committed to the AS for the last two years. Through my involvement in Activities Council, Western Votes, student senate and working in the Publicity Center, I have the skills and knowledge to best benefit your activities at Western.

I’m running for this position for one reason: you.

We’re facing dire budget cuts in the upcoming year, continued on next page

April 25, 2011 • 19

and I’ll work to preserve what really makes this university thrive: the clubs and events run by you, the students. I want to increase awareness about events and resources available to growing clubs on campus and provide you with the tools to make your ideas flourish.

decrease the quality of programs because of budget issues. Bellingham is unique in the way that we are a college town yet very community-oriented. I think that as a result of budget cuts, we will have the golden opportunity to work through other avenues to sustain efficiency and fund new projects. ■

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m running for this position because I’m passionate about student involvement on campus.

I believe college should provide a foundation for students to follow their dreams and at Western we have the privilege of providing students and their clubs with that opportunity. I’ve been utilizing these opportunities the last two years and now I want to share them with other students.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for activities?

VP for activities acts as the liaison between clubs and organizations on campus and the board of directors, so basically the position should make decisions and vote in the interest of clubs and students as a whole. The vice president for activities should also be continuously working to make the club system on campus more efficient and informed which I plan to do by spending time familiarizing students with the resources available in the AS. Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

A big issue affecting students in the upcoming year will be scheduling and registration conflicts due to budget cuts and program eliminations and cut-downs. I think the board should focus on making our registration system more efficient and accommodating. There have been a lot of complaints this year about the waitlist system and I think the board needs to take a step to help the university rework our course registration programs.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

I’ve spent a lot of time this year fighting against— but simultaneously preparing for—upcoming budget cuts. One thing I want to focus on next year is helping clubs and organizations find alternative sources of funding and working with the community. There are many opportunities available in Bellingham, and we won’t have to

faculty and staff not quite sure of what they want to do, I want to help them out, just to inspire them, try to find out what their core is. That’s the reason I’m seeking this position: because I want to learn more about Western students and try and find their special talent, their spice that they feel they could add or they could bring to Western.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for activities?

Not only is it the role of the VP of activities to guide, inspire and assist the board in terms of all means in terms of clubs, activities, but I believe this specific role is to remind the board and show the board that each and every person here—every club, every program—has a place here at Western.

When we wake up every day that it is our job and it is our goal to make sure that each program, each club is supported. That’s what I think this role is—to find, yet again, what the club, program, volunteer, employee—what their special talent is or their spice, and try to enhance that, and assisting and guiding it.

Mario Orallo-Molinaro My dear brothers and sisters of Western, real change happens when the needs and concerns of Western students are addressed individually and as a whole. It takes real listening, real caring and real action. Committed representation as a WE community, not just ME, is one of my main operating principles. I believe the true energy of Western is created by YOU: your beauty, your kindness and, finally, your love. Finding it is key.

My main platform is a grassroots promotion in clubs and activities that enhances students’ growth here at Western, while highlighting our diverse, talented and multicultural community. STAND UP WESTERN for your right to expression through clubs and activities with me. Thank you.

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m seeking this position because I’ve been inspired through the hard work of my peers, from my friends. I look out every day and I see people doing what they love and I see people being who they want to be here and I cannot tell you just how amazing that feels—to see people doing what they love. And when I see some students and even

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

Again, the big one for me is the idea of believing in themselves, or more the idea that every student has a place here at Western. I feel that is the biggest thing. Some students, they feel like sometimes their path is not clear. We need to go big more, I feel. The issue is that people don’t have faith in themselves.

People don’t have faith that they can do it. I feel so much that the board, the [VP for] activities or just some representatives to tell students that there are resources; there are people here for you, here for the students.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

Just reminding the board each and every day that what we represent is bigger than [our]selves, that when we wake up each and every morning, we represent a bigger whole, that we have to continue to work hard, not only think optimistically but think rationally, that our students and that our community needs us. I will personally remind the board that we need to keep the faith. Keep the faith continued on next page

2 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

Volume 26 Number 25 • April 25, 2011

About this issue

3 BALLOT INITIATIVE 4 AS PRESIDENT 7 VP FOR BUS & OPS 8 VP FOR GOV. AFFAIRS 10 VP FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS 12 CANDIDATE SURVEY 14 VP FOR DIVERSITY 18 VP FOR ACTIVITIES 21 VP FOR STUDENT LIFE

B is for ballot.

W

elcome to the 2011 elections issue of The AS Review. In the following pages you will find interviews with all the candidates running for the AS Board of Directors, information on the proposed Heating Costs Initiative, as well as how and where to vote.

For the interviews, each candidate was asked to answer, in 150 words each, the same four questions: Why are you seeking this position? What do you think is the role of [position title]? Tell us about one issue affecting students you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year. The AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

Great care was taken in selecting questions that would be fair for all candidates. General demographic information regarding age, gender identity, major or intended area of study and class standing was also collected anonymously to create the info graphics in this issue.

The transcriptions included here are, for the most part, verbatim. However, verbal fillers and hedges (e.g. “um,” “er,” “like” and repeated words) were omitted for clarity. We limited each answer

for the printed edition to 150 words due to space constraints so many answers are edited for brevity, but the substance of each candidate’s response has not been altered in any way. Since some candidates had more to say than others, full versions of each interview are be available online at http://www. asreview.as.wwu.edu/.

Again, we took great care in ensuring that the main message of each candidate’s response was preserved for the print edition.

Voting for the AS elections will be held from Monday, April 25 to Friday, April 29 at 2 p.m.

Students can vote electronically by visiting www.wwu.edu/vote and following the e-ballot instructions, by clicking “Vote!” under the AS Elections tab on the myWestern homepage or by visiting the polling station in Red Square between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday or from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.

The AS Review would like to thank all of the candidates for taking time during their campaigns to be interviewed.

We hope you enjoy the issue, and encourage you to make an informed decision. Now, get out and vote! ■

Vote.

20 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

as a whole. There are tons of cuts; there are tons of tough budget decisions, but that doesn’t mean that we as a community cannot fight through it and that we have to, as a community, work together, through collaboration, through communication, just working together. ■

John von Volkli My name is John von Volkli, and I am a sophomore running for VP for activities.

Over the past year, I have been intimately involved with sustaining the abilities of the AS, serving on Activities Council, as well as the AS Budget, SPAC and TAP committees, among others. I am also a club publicity officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of WWU. As VP for activities I plan to increase awareness of clubs and the opportunities they offer. I also intend to reemphasize club cooperation and dialogue in an effort to expand programming and opportunities to students.

Next year, I intend to continue fighting for the broad and engaging college experience that all Vikings deserve.

I look forward to working for you and with you.

Why are you seeking this position?

I am seeking this office because I believe that I have the communication skills and AS experience necessary to be an effective communicator for clubs and student leaders and be an objective but reasoned voice in the board of directors.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for activities?

Well, basically the role of VP for activities is acting as a liaison between clubs and the greater AS organization; letting clubs know what resources are available to them through Activities Council and also working on the sort of the cohesion of a general club message having to do with involvement or oncampus activities, and putting on leadership events like the “Lock and Lead” event.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I think accessibility of programming is something that every board has to deal with, but that especially in times of budget crises, students need to know that there is a lot of accessible, on-campus programming, and a lot of it has to do with clubs and club programming—whether it’s a speaker event, like the one Socialist Alternative is putting on—InkSpeak, something pretty easy to get involved with if you want to have an in-road to maybe an AS Review job, for instance. So I think that even when your wallet is looking small, there is still a lot of really interesting and important roles you can play on campus in the AS without having to be hired for a job for instance, or run for the board of directors.

This year the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

Well, I think it’s becoming apparent that these budget issues are going to continue for the next couple of years, at least for the couple of years that I’ll be going to the university, so I’m definitely right there with students who are concerned about that.

Serving on the budget committee this year, I’m pretty well-versed in what is facing the AS in terms of budget cuts and I’ve been working all year to try [to] make sure that even though realistically we are going to have some setbacks, I’ve been trying to make sure those setbacks don’t cut into the programming and services that students interact with on a day-to-day basis. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Ben Neyman As a student admissions representative, I work constantly to promote the amazing community of Western Washington University. With awesome features like the Outdoor Center, the Underground Coffeehouse and over 200 clubs, there is nothing not to love about our campus! All these fantastic features are provided by the Associated Students, and I would love to spread the magic of the AS and what it offers to every corner of the campus. One area I would like to focus on especially is working with Residence Life and all the campus hall councils.

As a current Resident Life employee, as well as vice president of Mathes, I see residence halls as a place in which our clubs can shine and bring unity to our incredible community.

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m seeking it because I love Western, first off.

I am a student admissions representative, so I help bring students to Western, and I pretty much promote it to everyone I can—it’s kind of my job to bring out the beauty of Western. I want to further serve it by helping create what I represent through my other job, to really bring clubs together, bring departments together. It’s kind of what I really want to do.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for activities?

[VP for] activities pretty much serves as a liaison between all the clubs on campus and the board of continued on next page

April 25, 2011 • 21

directors, so I’m kind of the go-to person if you have needs, if you want to add a club, if you want more funding, less funding—things like that. I serve to cater all the needs of the clubs and really bring those needs to the board of directors so their needs can be met or addressed.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I think AS involvement and getting people into

clubs is something we should continue to focus on. I know we’ve been focusing on it now, but I think the more people we can bring into our clubs helps bring our university together and our campus together, so increasing club attendance.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

Hopefully, one of the things I’m trying to do in my

Candidates for VP for

STUDENT LIFE

AS position is help unify the departments. I think that bringing our resources together and catering to the needs of other departments with what the AS has to offer—really bring our resources together and help make the campus more interdependent and greater, because we’re depending on each other rather than our own need for outside funding. We could really use our own resources, and I think that’s something that should be worked on the most. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Editor’s note: Due to the higher number of candidates running for this office, to fit every interview in the issue we have had to cut candidate statements. View them online at gov.as.wwu.edu/2011-election.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for student life?

The role of VP for student life is to represent the students as best they can and to represent them in their respective committees. So, as I said, the VP steering committee, the Health and Wellness Center committee, the Rec Center committee, all those committees, the VP for student life would represent student interests in those for whatever the students want.

Chris Savage Why are you seeking this position?

The reason I’m seeking this position is because I feel like it’s another area where I can help people.

Basically the reason why I joined RHA as the RHA president is, I want to help as many people as possible and if this is the way to do it, then so be it.

And I also feel like it’s an elevated RHA president position, so I already feel like I’m associated with a lot of the dining committees, the VP steering committee that the former VP of student life is on, so I feel like I have enough training to fill the position.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year?

Probably the student fees, because a lot of students come to me and don’t understand what they’re paying for sometimes when they see the $95 for the Rec Center or the $27 for the Health and Wellness Center. Maybe more education on that, or to reduce those fees so that students may be able to have more money themselves.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue into next year?

Well, I personally have felt the tuition cuts because of RHA, we have had our budget cut by half. So I feel that I have the experience and the know-all to, even with more budget cuts that I know are coming, to figure out a way to utilize as little as we have to make the most of what it is. ■

Hilary McGowan Why are you seeking this position?

I have invested myself on campus and I really care deeply about the outcome of the programming, especially in the fear of all these budget cuts. As a student leader, I am the president of Students for Renewable Energy and Students for Urban Planning and Policy. I really care about how students relate to their school and what kind of programs and services that we can offer to everyone. I think it’s really important that students have access to whatever the AS Board of Directors are saying. I am also really invested in the Green Energy Fee and the Alternative Transportation Fee, which student life runs. I have actually submitted a grant for the Green Energy Fee for $137,335 to install solar panels on top of the roof. I think it’s really important that continued on next page

22 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

students can be represented by somebody who cares about all parts of it.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for student life?

Student life is the most broad of all the positions.

It encompasses the housing, dining, athletics, recreation, campus services, as well as leading committees and directing the two largest fees on campus. My role would be to work to represent the student body concerns for each program, and to provide the students with increased, well-advertised and well-managed programming. Student life’s role is to work with the students, find out exactly what they want, and to allow them to find out what the AS Board of Directors is doing. I think it’s also really important that student life listens to students to defend their rights, to progress gender-inclusive housing and to make the AS more accessible.

I want to help manage the Green Energy Fee effectively and efficiently, increase Western shuttle service and availability, reevaluate the Alternative Transportation Fee and support clubs, athletics and recreation integration into the AS. Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

The budget. It’s going to be vital that the board of directors continues to provide all their services and programming while working with a dramatically reduced budget. That means that the board of directors is going to have to critically manage their programming with accountability and studentvoiced direction. With my background, I know how to evaluate programming. You have to see what students want and cut out the fat where they don’t want. If internships need to be made rather than having as many job positions or helping those job positions, that’s going to necessitate those hard decisions. We as students cannot afford to go outside and get more programs. So it’s very important that student life keeps their programs up. By looking at the evaluation of the Alternative Transportation Fee, we can start getting around easier and also push more services so students can get around effectively.

This year the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

Dealing with budget cuts is incredibly difficult because you don’t want to cut anything that people need access to. So what you’re going to need to do

is re-evaluate the programs and make sure they are running as effectively as possible. As president of Students for Renewable Energy, I have worked with a budget of only about $50 a quarter. We have been able to provide effective events, planning, reaching out to as many students as we can with using our limited resources. I can help maintain the quality of AS programming by knowing how they work and why they work, and assessing exactly how they relate to each and every student. As a student leader I took the initiative to make these hard decisions and to ask people what they wanted so they can hear us more. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Zachary Carroll Why are you seeking this position?

I am seeking the student life position because I have confidence that I am the most qualified for this position. I think my training as an RA this past year and my working with Res Life and with a breadth of students has given me the unique ability to learn how to interact with different groups and still accomplish a goal. That job, that training has given me a unique ability to work with students on a more human level, not strictly business or politics. Also, I think working with Res Life has given me a unique insight to housing and dining which are two major issues the office works with along with a direct line of communication with students. Since I live close to them, I hear a lot about the needs and the wants of the community and try to take and apply them to my future job, hopefully.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for student life?

The proper answer would be from the paper, as a liaison between the students and the different entities that try to serve them. But my job, I’m probably going to talk about this a lot, is that with this budget crisis, I hope there’s not going to be a tendency to go strictly business in the way the AS functions and that we lose that sensitivity and that human factor in the way we cut things and make decisions. I want to bring still that element of selfsacrifice; we’re not just leading but we’re also here to provide and to serve still. My role is to ensure that the students, that their needs and their wants and what they want from their school is transferred through me into action and results. I simply want to be the voice and the action of what the students want to get done.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

The obvious one would be the raise in tuition.

That’s going to affect every single student. But, one of the issues I feel pretty strong about and that kind of falls into the housing part of my job is gender-inclusive housing. It was a studentprompted initiative, student-driven, student-led, student-fought-for, and I think the AS needs to be behind that 100 percent first and foremost because it was from the students. If we’re going to set an example on that leading edge, we have to do this in a very careful and very intentional way. I think the AS should really be behind gender-inclusive housing specifically, but then apply those principles of sensitivity and basic humanity to all elements whether its tuition, class sizes, and all different areas.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services, and events if these budget issues continue?

First off, I don’t buy into the thought that just because we’re having budget issues we can’t expand certain programs or we can’t still move forward in a positive direction. All this means is we have to be more efficient and more strategic in what we do so that we don’t waste. This is going to be a trying time for the university as a whole that to cut down waste so that we keep those services that students depend on and rely on and come to expect from us. I think continued on next page

April 25, 2011 • 23

that’s how I’m going to help maintain that, help that quality, is to cut back on inefficiencies. Every penny counts and so logistics, goals, everything needs to be kind of boiled down and, okay: Who’s on board?

Where are we going? Is this going to affect and benefit students the most in a healthy, safe way? ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Victor Celis Why are you seeking this position?

I chose this position, VP for student life, because I really honestly care about the students and I want to make their time here the best that it can be. I would do this by making sure that their needs are all being met and that their concerns are being heard, and not just heard, but that their concerns are being acted on. I was initially drawn to the position of VP for student life because the focus on students—in the title it’s “student life,” so I was drawn to serving students. I think that initial attraction came from me working as an RA within the residence hall and as a peer adviser in student financial services, and just doing what is needed to make the students’ time here the best that it can be.

What do you think is the role of the vice president of student life?

The role is fairly broad because it has so many ties to different parts of the university. But, in general, as VP for student life I would work with a lot of different offices and programs that affect the daily lives of students, whether that’s dining services or University Residences where we will

be ushering in the new gender-inclusive housing program next year, student transportation, the Student Health Center, the Wade King Rec Center, the Green Energy Fee where we will be reviewing and amending the program after its first year making sure it’s really aimed towards students and their goals. But, to sum that up, I would serve as a liaison between the AS, the different offices and the students here on campus making sure that all the groups are being represented and heard.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

One thing that I think is huge for the university is this new gender-inclusive housing program that’s going to be starting up in Buchanan Towers next year, and I think that the board really needs to help promote that inclusive community within that floor, but also bring that more into their hall throughout BT and then bring that community out onto campus. I think it’s a really great opportunity for campus, not just the people living on that floor and that hall, but the rest of campus to really learn from this and grow and really help our Western community become even more inclusive and really open, and I think by doing that next year, we’re going to help this program grow and really expand and reach its full potential. I’m really excited to see the program work out.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue into next year?

First, I would continue to advocate for higher education and for Western, whether that’s going down to Olympia to testify to the legislature, promoting and participating in campus rallies, and writing and calling our representatives and letting them know our concerns and our values for higher education in the future. But on top of that, we also need to be pursuing more effective and efficient procedures and operations within each office and each program and each event so that way we can make sure that the most valued programs here are being maintained and really keeping their focus on the students. And really in order to do that we’ll need to have a clear idea of what the students value most, so that way we can go through and thoroughly see where we can become more efficient with our spending and keep that focus on students. ■

Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

Derrick Reinhardt Why are you seeking this position?

The reason why I am seeking this position is because I feel like this campus can have more sense of community. If I am elected, then I really want to make sure students feel included in campus activities, while making sure that students have a good communication with the athletics, the AS board, and other resources on campus. I’m going to do this by making sure to advertise all these resources. I just want people to know that you don’t have to wait for so long before you find out about these resources. As well, I want to make sure gender-neutral housing continues because I know that people worked hard to get that going and I really want to see it progress within the near future.

I also want to represent most students’ voices by embodying their choices.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for student life?

I think the role of vice president for student life is to represent students’ voices as much as possible.

In doing this, I feel that it is in the VP’s line of duty to make sure students’ needs are being met as much as possible. I think that this role entails using best judgment when making decisions, and not making decisions based off the biases that the VP for student life might have. continued on next page

24 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

Oh gosh, there are so many. I think one in particular would be to make sure students know about the resources here on campus. I’ve had friends who are juniors and some who are seniors say that they wish they knew about the resources earlier in their college career, like freshman or sophomore year.

This year the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

I will help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events by doing all that I can to make

sure that students’ needs are being met, however if something does come up to where students’ needs are not being met, then I will try to find a way to work around that. With that said, I know that some students’ needs are not going to be met. But I will do my best to make sure that in the end, students do feel a sense of community no matter what, and do feel as though they belong here on campus. I have a little goal in mind that if I am elected for student life, my one goal is if I can make at least one person’s student life here on campus amazing, the bomb, then I would be the most happiest person in the world. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu. know I’m the most qualified for this position so I’m stepping up to take the leadership role on for my fellow students.

Sara Richards

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m seeking this position because not only do I have a passion for leadership in general, I love being involved and being able to make a change for the better. I came to Western loving it with an [undeniable] passion and I feel like through working with Western’s Leadership Advantage I’ve done my best to challenge the process in many aspects of the organizations that I’m a part of. The past two years I’ve been really heavily involved in many governance roles that the vice president for student life already deals with, like Residence Hall Association, AStack; I’ve worked with the gender-inclusive housing pilot program. I also have a really strong passion and desire to continue the development for Western’s sustainability improvements, goals and visions. I

What do you think is the role of the vice president for student life?

As the vice president for student life my role is going to be to be that student leader that other students can come to. Being the person that will go out and seek those students in those organizations and groups who want things done and want to make a change on campus, finding them and helping them get through that process. A lot of the students that I’ve already talked to have really told me that it’s really hard and a long process to get programs going and get events happening, especially when it comes to the Green Energy Fee and just making that process easier and as simple as I can for them. If it’s from the eco-reps timer programs in the shower or the gender-inclusive housing piloting program— making the process more simple to get through, and being that student leader that students can come to.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year: Absolutely sustainability. As vice president for student life, being able to realize that we’re facing budget cuts right now when it comes to our programs and our resources and outlets… everything is being threatened, but prioritizing what our students want and what we need to do to continue to incline in the steps that Western is taking to become a more sustainable place. I know personally I can benefit the board, by working with

the rec center or the health center or any other facilities that use a lot of energy and helping things become more efficiently run, not only in cost but in environmental ways. I know I’ve mentioned the eco-rep shower timers before but they came to RHA and I thought that was an absolutely amazing idea. They’re piloting it right now and seeing if it’s actually making an improvement in expanding that all throughout campus.

This year the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

The budget cuts that Western is receiving doesn’t actually affect AS programs. The revenue would only be affected if student enrollment decreased rapidly, however, if a toll does happen to where AS programs are affected very negatively or something, just prioritizing and evaluating what we’re already doing and what our students want us to absolutely continue on. My priority will always be to continue to fight for students’ rights, programs and financial needs. If that’s from continuing attending things such as lobby days, or getting involved in the political system. The quality of our events is what we want, it’s not the quantity of our events or programs or resources. It’s the quality in what is actually helping the students out and prioritizing to keep that on the task list to actually get done, especially when we face budgetary cuts. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

If you have read this far, you have no reason not to vote. Seriously.

Vote by logging in to your myWestern account and clicking on the AS Elections tab, or visit wwu.edu/vote.

Voting ends Friday, April 29 at 2 p.m.

April 25, 2011 • 3

BALLOT INITIATIVE Should listings on the off-campus housing registry be required to provide an energy efficiency score or combined heating/electrical total ̶ informing students about that unit’s weatherization and heating costs?

The Heating Cost Initiative was proposed for the ballot by Neil Baunsgard, Matt Moroney and Wil Wrede, with the support of many others. We emailed Baunsgard to ask some questions about the measure.

What led you to put this on the ballot?

It all started this winter when Western’s Students for Renewable Energy hosted an energy efficiency panel discussion. The panelists and the participants all shared a common frustration with the discrepancy between landlords and tenants when it came to energy efficiency. The landlords have no incentive to make energy efficiency upgrades and weatherproofing because they don›t pay the utility bill, and they are not accountable for their inefficiencies. This prompted us to try to find a solution to keep college students from having to pay exorbitant heating bills without knowing how much it costs.

Why should students support this?

Currently Puget Sound Energy will not tell you how much the bills are at a possible rental location.

This leaves students to gamble with their finances because they don’t know how much it is going to cost to live somewhere. This bill would give students the information to be able to know the true costs of living in a rental unit. This will reduce our community’s environmental impact and save everyone’s pocketbook.

What methods do you propose should be used to determine energy efficiency scores or overall

heating and electrical costs? How effective are those methods?

The most basic and no-cost option is just for the landlord to sum a 12-month period of utility bills and give a monthly average. This will give students a ballpark of what current residents are paying, however this is highly dependent on usage and can be inaccurate. For example, two units both have the same average bill. One unit is so poorly insulated that the residents can’t afford to keep it warmer than 40 degrees. They have the same bill as a well-insulated unit that keeps their house at a modest 65 degrees. If they were to opt for an energy efficiency audit they can contact the community energy challenge to get an accurate audit that will point out places they can save and hook you up with someone to do the work.

If you want to be proactive and learn how to approach a landlord about efficiency, go to http:// www.communityenergychallenge.org/ for more information.

If the initiative passes, will it need funding to implement? If so, how much do you plan on needing and where will you seek it from?

This will have no additional cost to students or the institution; it will only be giving more information to the students. If landlords choose to do an energy efficiency audit, this cost will end up in huge savings for the future residents. ■ You can learn more about the off-campus housing registry by visiting www.vu.wwu.edu/off-campus. php.

taoofjournalism.com

Editor in Chief Evan Marczynski

Assistant Editor Lindsay Kucera

Events Editor Olena Rypich

Lead Photographer Daniel Berman

Staff Writers Chelsea Asplund Matt Crowley Jordyn Kehle Kirsten O’Brien

Photographer Joe Rudko Accuracy Aide Alex Bacon Adviser Jeff Bates

The AS Review: Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, Wash. 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu Online: asreview.as.wwu.edu @theasreview facebook.com/theasreview ©2011. Published most Mondays during the school year by the Associated Students of Western Washington University.

We are a student-produced, alternative campus weekly covering news and events that are of interest to the Western community. We support all programs, offices and clubs affiliated with the AS. We have a direct connection to the AS Board of Directors, and although we report on board actions objectively, our relationship should be made clear.

Submissions: We welcome reader submissions, including news articles, literary pieces, photography, artwork or anything else physically printable.

Email submissions, or send them to the mailing address above. They will be returned as long as you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Letters: We also welcome letters to the editor. Please limit your letter to 300 words and include your name and phone number. Published letters may have minor edits made to their length or grammar, if necessary.

Calendar/Ads: We don’t sell ad space. Sorry. Email the Events Editor at as.pr@wwu.edu to have an event listed in the calendar.

4 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

Candidates for

AS PRESIDENT aspects of Western that need to be addressed to help improve the experience of the 15,000 students we have. So, I take this seriously, and I make sure I’m doing the work that students expect and deserve.

So, why president? As this year’s vice president for student life, I was able to get a really broad view of a lot of student issues. Next year, I want to be able to guide the board of directors to be the representative body that the students need. I have the vision and the drive that the students need in their AS president.

Jamin Agosti Experience.

With the hundreds of hours I have dedicated to the Associated Students as both vice president and a volunteer, I have created a more efficient AS, built the Green Energy Fee grant program, and fought for higher education.

Vision.

We all chose Western for a reason and are proud to call ourselves Vikings. The budget cuts have threatened our university and the quality of our institution. We will stand up in the face of this challenge and become a stronger campus because of it.

Commitment.

You elected me as your VP for student life and I have spent the last year working to live up to that responsibility. As your president I will continue this promise.

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m very passionate about Western and all the students at Western, and I don’t think there’s been a single week this year where I’ve put in less than 30 hours working on student life issues because of that. And these are very real and very important

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

This year we asked every AS office to take a funding cut, similar to what the university did last year with departments. We have to make sure we’re spending student money efficiently and for good reasons. As a result of asking our staff to make these cuts, our offices found tens of thousands of dollars in voluntary reductions while still providing almost the same level of service, which is great. We need to keep looking for efficiencies, assessing the value of all the services we offer and looking for better ways to serve students. The quality of the services, resources and events that the AS offers is crucial to what we do and we will definitely continue to protect that quality. ■

What do you think is the role of the AS president?

Western just hit over 15,000 students. That’s a lot of people. The president is expected to be the voice and the face to those students, whether it’s in a trustee’s meeting, to the alumni association or just around campus to parents and other students. The real challenging task of the president is collecting input to really accurately represent all of those 15,000 students. If you’re a chem student who doesn’t have any pipets for labs or a psych student who can’t get into upper-division courses you need, the president is still supposed to represent all students and all those diverse interests.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I think one of the most valuable aspects of Western and the Associated Students is really the uniqueness we have. From our outdoor programs like Lakewood and Viqueen Lodge to our beautiful campus to the amazing, high-quality education we have and back to the Associated Students, we’re a really unique campus, and I want to really help the students take advantage of all these services that we have. This year, one of the best things the board of directors did was make a $22,000 investment in the Viqueen Lodge, which is really going to set us up for using this property that is really unique for a student association or a university, especially of our size, to own.

Anna Ellermeier My name is Anna Ellermeier and I want to be your AS president.

As president, above all else, I will be a strong and effective advocate for students. I am committed to: -Protecting on-campus student jobs -Maintaining the level of inexpensive, highquality programming on campus -Strengthening Western’s voice and influence in Olympia My varied and extensive experience in the AS, the university and legislative affairs has given me a comprehensive understanding of how the AS and the university function and how we can make them even better. My experience includes: continued on next page

-AS Review Editor, two years -Member of five AS and university committees -Current Events Forum co-founder I’d be honored by your vote and the opportunity to serve as your AS president.

Why are you seeking this position?

For two main reasons: First, I’ve had an incredible experience as a student and if I became AS president my main commitment would be to ensure that every student, and I mean current and prospective, has access to the unique and exceptional opportunities at our university, despite budget cuts. Second, I’m the most qualified candidate. I haven’t been on the board and because of that I’ve been able to involve myself all over campus in leadership positions, including being the editor of The AS Review for two years, being a lifestyle adviser and serving on five AS and university committees. The most effective AS presidents have a full understanding of the university and that past experiences are not based solely in one area, such as legislative affairs or student life. I will bring a much broader perspective to the role and that will make me a better AS president.

What do you think is the role of the AS President?

The president is the spokesperson and the representative of the student body. Next year, I’d like to expand this role. While still being an excellent and effective representative for the student body to our administration and our legislators, I want to empower students to use their own voices. Of course, there are times when the president needs to be able to stand up and speak for all students, but as much as we can we need to find avenues for students in their own words and in their own voices to be involved in the decision-making processes at this university. To accomplish this, I want to start getting serious about our committee system. As president, I will lead the effort to provide training that is more comprehensive for students that sit on committees.

We can amplify student voices by empowering them with knowledge and more preparation.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

Diversity. No question. Diversity is a value that is at the heart of our institution. It’s what makes Western great, but I don’t hear a whole lot of discussion about its importance when we move toward making large decisions. I believe that there is an incredible benefit to everyone [in]

April 25, 2011 • 5

having a student body that comes from different backgrounds, has different ideas and has different life experiences. As AS president, I will work hard to change the way we think about diversity. It is a value that should permeate everything we do, and right now I’m disappointed that it doesn’t. When we look to cut our programs or services, when we think about our programming in the Associated Students, when we talk about access to even getting through the door to come to Western, this will be one of the main issues that I will champion as AS president.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

First, I think it’s important that I make the distinction that AS funds and university funds come from different sources. The Associated Students budget is funded through the Services and Activities Fee, and that revenue is based on enrollment, not on how much money the state gives Western every year. To maintain quality, I think we need to prioritize. If we can’t do everything we want to do, we need a structured way to decide what we keep and what we let go of. To me, this would look like more assessment of specific programs, getting more student feedback on what programming they truly find valuable. We need to ask more questions. That’s something I will emphasize next year within the Associated Students organization. The programming priorities should come from the students, seeing as this is their money we’re spending. ■

By serving as your current vice president for business and operations, I’ve done everything I said I’d do and more.

I’ve created student jobs, reduced the AS deficit, increased AS board accountability, and met with Washington’s top politicians for Western students.

Through policies I’ve passed, I’ve increased AS inclusion of women, ethnic minorities and queer students. With help from my extraordinary AS staff, we’ve increased efficiency and student programs while making AS culture results-oriented. You deserve all this.

My commitment to Western: I will deliver more accountability, inclusion and results. No excuses.

Come to my office anytime to talk; make sure I’m doing my job.

Give me the opportunity to continue improving Western. Vote for me for president to believe in better with Ben Brockman.

Why are you seeking this position?

I’m seeking this position because the students here at Western are like a family to me. By currently serving as vice president for business and operations, I really enjoy continuously improving the AS. With what I told The AS Review last year, I’ve done everything I said I’d do and more.

I’ve passed a policy that increases accountability in student government, and others to increase inclusion for everybody on campus. With help from my extraordinary AS staff, we’ve created student jobs and additional programs, increased efficiency and stretched your dollars and reduced the AS deficit. I hope I’m given the opportunity to be president so I get more things done. That’s what students deserve.

My commitment to Western is to deliver even more accountability, inclusion and results. No excuses. I hope students come see me in my office next year in order to make sure I’m doing my job.

What do you think is the role of the AS President?

The president has three primary responsibilities.

First is leading the AS Board of Directors. Since I’m experienced in managing AS employees already, there are no worries that I’ll do this well. Second is making sure university decisions are studentfocused by sitting on many university committees with Bruce Shepard and other upper-level administrators. Third, the AS president represents Western students in Olympia. I’m majoring in economics and finance, with a minor in accounting.

Benjamin Brockman

continued on next page

6 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

Washington’s financial shortfall is a matter of economics, so I’m qualified for this. I’m determined to take this on. I’ll explain to politicians why funding higher education is crucial for economic growth, how they can efficiently reallocate their budget toward higher education and how they can raise taxes in ways that don’t hurt businesses or the economy. We have to get tuition under control, so I’ll lead my fellow Western students in relentlessly fighting for this.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

All quarter, I’ve been out talking to students and asking what issues are important to them. There seems to be no single issue affecting students.

From the hundreds of responses I’ve written down so far, the most common student issues seem to be: sustainability—like recycling and composting, rising tuition, paving the C lot, protecting academic programs, diversity, not enough publicity for events, dislike for Sodexo and lack of club resources.

Depending on what other student issues go into and fill up my journal, I’ll prioritize the AS board based on the most responses. I figure that if I win president, I’ll need to know what students care about. So, what better way to know than by asking them? We’ll implement other ways to poll student issues too. Students have the right to expect that their voices get heard. I’m listening because I respect and want to hear them out.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

The simple truth is that I’m a budget specialist.

This is my academic focus and what I’m already doing as vice president. In my current position, I lead the AS budgeting process. I’ve worked with the different AS programs and together we’ve reduced spending while sustaining high-quality services.

Despite having reduced this budget shortfall, we’ve actually created additional student jobs and programs by increasing efficiency and stretching your dollars. We inherited a budget deficit, but I’ll soon be presenting to the AS board a balanced budget with no deficit. The AS president, unlike my current position, operates across the university.

Since every entity on campus is going broke, with my budgetary insights I’ll help them to create efficiencies and lasting solutions. Given these tough

economic times and Western losing money, nothing is more important than having an AS president that understands fiscal responsibility and how to optimize budgets. ■

Byron Starkey I, Byron Starkey, want to be your next AS president.

As your current AS VP for governmental affairs I have shown determination and dedication to students by: -Implementing the MOST SUCCESSFUL voter registration drive and STUDENT-LED rally in years -ADVOCATING for students during the most difficult legislative session in decades for Western -Leading a campus-wide effort to UNIFY students, faculty and administration in response to pressing budgetary concerns Elect me as your AS president, and I will: -Champion student priorities in decisions made regarding the future of Western -Improve student involvement by outreaching to clubs, resident halls, and academic departments; -Continue my work to strengthen our response to local, state and federal issues For more info, visit http://votebyronstarkey. blogspot.com/.

Why are you seeking this position?

Over the course of this year, while working with other student governments in Washington, I’ve noticed how truly unique the Associated Students at Western is. This organization, on a service level, provides more to students and is student-run in so many more levels than any other similar AS in the

state. The board itself also has more influence on the university, and its opinion is actually respected to an extent that is rarely seen when we think of student government. Being a part of the organization, being able to help guide it is an amazing opportunity.

I enjoy the ability to advocate for issues I am passionate about, and I think we can make this a university that is even more collaborative and student-driven. I love my experience at Western and want future and current students to enjoy it just as much as I have.

What do you think is the role of the AS president?

I view the role of the president as being two-fold.

The first and most obvious is to be the primary voice of students. That entails making sure that any decision you are consulted on, and any situation that students face, it is my job, my responsibility to make sure that I am representing the interest of students. The president is consulted on major decisions being made in the university and often the only student in the room. I will always speak up and fight for students. The second role is to be a resource and mediator for the board of directors. I’ll be working with six other vice presidents next year, and as president I should be doing as much as I can to help the vice presidents accomplish their goals.

An effective board of directors and one that works together, I will make sure that this happens.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

Accessibility. Accessibility to classes, to the university financially and accessibility to majors.

We see the budget cuts laid out; students will see that classes, majors and services are less accessible because the university will be forced to consolidate and reduce services. We will see fewer jobs offered due to reductions in work-study. We will see Western not being as accessible to low-income, first generation students. We address this by advocating responsible reductions in areas that minimally impact the accessibility of all these areas. The board of directors will have to ensure that these issues are a priority as we are the primary representative in areas that will, in one way or another, address these issues and advocating for as little an increase in students fees as possible. continued on next page

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

I think the only reasonable method will be a bottom-up approach to budget reductions within

the organization. What I mean by this is that we need to rely on our directors and heads of offices to present what the appropriate budget cuts will be to their office that would minimally reduce the quality of their services and programming. The board shouldn’t make these initial proposals because the people that know each office the best and how to

Candidates for VP for

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Travis Peters As a Western student, I have become many things including a double major in mathematics and computer science, an athlete on the cross country and track teams and a member of several academic clubs and community programs. If elected, my primary goal is to learn the desires of Western students and apply my experience as a problemsolver, leader and listener in order to become an active voice for Western students.

In light of tuition hikes, I want nothing more than to work with AS board members to focus on bettering the programs and organizations of our school. As VP for business and operations, I would take charge by assessing our AS budget and programs to efficiently utilize these resources and maximize benefits for Western students.

Why are you seeking this position?

My decision to run is comprised of two driving forces, the first being my acknowledgement that this position is a great application for the skills that I have developed as a double major in math and computer science. But ultimately this position is an ideal opportunity to apply these skills in such a way that would hopefully benefit the student body. The way I see it, how useful is anything that we learn if we can’t use it in a way that makes something better, makes something more clear, solves a problem or just plain and simple helps someone. I think I started tutoring math for the same reason I wanted to run for this position. I want to use the things I’m passionate about learning and direct their usefulness in such a way that benefits the students and the school that have provided me with so many opportunities.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for business and operations?

In speaking with our current vice president for business and operations, and researching the duties of this position, it is apparent that the individual that occupies this position should be goal-oriented, able to work efficiently, both independently and in team settings, and probably most important of all, this person should strive to be an effective and efficient advocate for the students of Western. The individual in this role directly oversees the internal operations of all of the AS programs and services, working alongside other board members and AS employees to assess policies, the AS budget and program development. Furthermore, I believe it is the responsibility of the VP for business and

April 25, 2011 • 7

strategically make reductions are the people who are in each office on a daily basis. The board then must realistically tackle the various proposals from each office and decide what reductions will result in a minimal loss of service to students. ■

operations to ensure the desires of students are accurately reflected in the financial decisions that are made within the AS and that the integrity of programs that outreach to students of Western are maintained and properly supported.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I’m going to have to say that the overall level of awareness of what is happening in the AS is a huge issue affecting students of Western. If you asked a student at random around campus, and asked them what a certain fee is for, or how that money is being spent or what sorts of things are happening currently in the AS that are affecting the money that is at the disposal of the AS and the things that directly benefit them, chances are they would have little to no response. So I believe a greater emphasis should be put into inviting the students to the events in which the board is making decisions related to the AS. As an elected official it really is the job of the board members to put these decisions regarding the AS on display, as well as facilitate student involvement in these decisions.

This year, the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

In addition to the stress I put on the importance of student awareness and quality communication, this position absolutely demands that the person elected conducts their business in an efficient manner. The most important aspect of efficiency in this regard is to ensure the protection of the AS programs and organizations that serve the students best. This is done primarily by assessing the number of students that utilize the resources of AS programs and organizations, and also by assessing the impact of the budgets on benefiting the students. It would be my personal goal to assess our current budget and work alongside other board members to ensure the voices of students are reflected in our efforts to protect the programs, services and events that are in question due to budget issues. ■

8 • Vote online at wwu.edu/vote

Jered McCardle I’m Jered McCardle and I hope to become your next VP for business and operations. I have been involved at Western since freshman year in hall council as a Residence Hall Association representative. Through my work as the national communications coordinator for RHA, student senate vice chair and serving on numerous committees this year, I believe that I am the best candidate for this position.

My goal for next year is to look past just the budgets of the AS, but also to look at what every student receives from various events and offices. We must look at what every student gains from each part of the AS, whether that is having fun at a dance, or being in a safe environment. Thank you.

able to choose what they want to do and I want to be able to advise them on what I believe and what the students believe want to be done with those offices, because I don’t want to represent myself in the AS, I want to represent other students at Western. I really want to look at the finances of the AS and to make the AS operate at a cost-efficient, high-quality level, which goes back into how I want to look at things more qualitatively, because things are not just about budgets and attendance figures, it should be about what people learn and what people experience at these events as well.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

I think we should really focus on trying to encompass more graduate students in the AS. I know in talking to a lot of people during the campaign, numerous graduate students have come up to me and told me they don’t feel accepted in the AS, they feel it’s very undergraduate-centric, and we have to realize as an organization that the students at Western do not just comprise undergraduates,

This year the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue into next year?

We have to simply look at efficiency in the offices.

We have to look at cash flows, we can’t just look at attendance figures as well, we have to look at the quality of programs, we have to look at what people are learning, we have to look at whether they are having fun at these events and whether they themselves view these events as really valuable to their time at the university. Overall by looking at those things we can make the AS far more efficient in not just ways with cash inflows, but also to make the AS efficient in making the experience of Western Washington University as great as it possibly can be to each student. ■

Candidates for VP for

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

Why are you seeking this position?

I’ve always had a passion for business and economics. As of right now I am a political economics major and it is something I am really passionate about. The biggest reason that I am running is that I believe some things need to be changed to make the AS even more efficient. We have to look at more than just attendance figures and more than just budgets and cash inflows and everything like that. To make the AS as high a quality program as we want it to be, we have to look at more qualitative reasoning as well.

What do you think is the role of the vice president of business and operations?

I would like to view my role, if I’m elected, to be an adviser to the offices of the AS, and to not enforce what I want upon them. I want them to be

there are around 2,000 graduate students at this university, and they are as much a part of the AS as the undergraduates, so I really think we should try and expand and try to look at their issues just as much as undergraduate issues.

Iris Maute-Gibson

Western is in the midst of an unprecedented environment; experiencing a steady divestment in postsecondary education. We are looking ahead to a crucial year in determining the future of our university.

As your current AS legislative liaison, I have: -Facilitated an increase in campus civic engagement -Fostered solidarity between Western students, faculty and administration -Advocated throughout this legislative session for your right to a quality, accessible and affordable education My experience and knowledge working within Western and the Bellingham community makes me most qualified to be your advocate, your representative and your voice in preserving Western’s unique opportunities. continued on next page

When elected, I will continue to advocate for you, and mobilize students to stand up and speak out to guarantee OUR unwavering right to higher education.

Why are you seeking this position?

My experience as an active and engaged part of the Associated Students has been truly remarkable.

I have the privilege of serving as the 2010 Residence Hall Association president, where I led the student initiative for gender-inclusive housing on campus and served on the Green Energy Fee Committee.

This year, as your current legislative liaison, I represent students at the local, state and national level. As a financial aid recipient and advocate for students, I know all too well the stress you are facing from not being able to prioritize your education in this time of massive budget cuts. I am a student who, like you, values and wishes to glean the most from my educational experiences. My time at Western has been full of opportunities and support and I feel it is my duty to work as hard as I can to give back to my fellow students.

What do you think is the role of the vice president for governmental affairs?

The vice president for governmental affairs has the unique ability and challenge to be a representative, an advocate and a voice for students across campus.

The role of a representative takes shape in our lobbying efforts in the community to the state legislature and to the Washington congressional delegation. The role of an advocate on campus is to motivate and empower students to engage in the civic process. The role of a voice for students involves magnifying the student voice and bringing student stories and experiences to their elected officials. Also important to the role of vice president for governmental affairs is carefully gauging the needs of students. My experience and knowledge working directly with your current vice president for governmental affairs and in the Bellingham community makes me the most qualified to be your advocate, your representative and your voice in preserving Western’s unique opportunities.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

As your vice president for governmental affairs, I would strongly advocate for bolstering our efforts to increase and foster diverse forums of civic engagement within and outside of Western’s campus.

Particularly I want to make higher education in the

state of Washington a major voting issue, this year we registered 3,000 students to vote, more than any other institution in Washington. Furthermore, my experience in Olympia taught me if we continue to speak out courageously and honestly with our elected officials, as we’ve done this year, our message will be heard. We need to advocate for our unwavering right to higher education in a more proactive way by electing officials that make our futures their priorities.

This year the AS has had to deal with funding cuts and tough budget decisions. How will you help maintain the quality of AS programs, services and events if these budget issues continue?

We are in the midst of an unprecedented environment. In the past two decades, our state has experienced a steady divestment in higher education. This year our students have engaged in courageous conversations necessary to make

April 25, 2011 • 9

our elected officials aware that students will not stand for this continued decrease in quality and accessibility of our university experience.

As your current legislative liaison, I spent the legislative session in Olympia lobbying on behalf of students. I worked directly with the current VP for governmental affairs to register students to vote, facilitate campus programs that mobilized and empowered students to speak out against budget cuts and solidify valuable relationships with key legislators as well as our faculty and administration in order to ensure we’re spreading a unified message to Olympia. We as a community have the potential to make a remarkable impact on the future of higher education in Washington state. ■ Portions of this interview have been edited for length. The full transcript is available online at asreview.as.wwu.edu.

process of decision-making that affects us in our everyday lives. Innovate, educate, and build for our future with Dean Williams as vice president for governmental affairs.

Why are you seeking this position?

I decided I wanted to give something back to the student community before I leave Western. I really like this place, I’ve been here for almost four years and I’m not quite ready to leave. I spent winter quarter working for the Senate in Olympia and it just really sort of charged me up for wanting to work in a more official capacity for the students, for the school.

Dean Williams I decided to run to give something back to the student community before I leave Western.

Spending winter quarter working for the state Senate I gained a lot of insight into the perspective of the legislators and how to meet them halfway when asking for support and proposing budget plans. Beyond that I will have four years of experience as a student here to draw from. I’m familiar with issues between the students and the Bellingham community as a renter, a job-holder and a volunteer. I hope to promote the important responsibility of enaging ourselves with the

What do you think is the role of the vice president for governmental affairs?

The role of the position I’m running for is to coordinate between the students and the legislature, and the students and the Bellingham community, and to promote student engagement with their government, whether it’s local or semi-local or national.

Tell us about one issue affecting students that you think the AS Board of Directors should focus on next year.

One idea I was thinking about is, I know a lot of students who have been taken advantage of by landlords, and I think if we added a “rate-mylandlord” portion to Viking Village that would really continued on next page