A record three teams are making a bid for 2006-07 ASUS executive.
Presidential candidate Lindsay Duncan and VP candidate Kyle Abrey, both ArtSci ’07, are up against the team of presidential candidate Max Rubin and VP candidate Lisa Jorgensen, both ArtSci ’08, as well as presidential candidate Alvin Tedjo, ArtSci ’06, and his running mate, VP candidate Melissa Grosser, ArtSci ’07. Current ASUS President Bradley Hammond said he was ecstatic there was going to be a race for the executive.
“Last year was the first time in at least five years that there was more than one team running, so I’m incredibly excited to see three teams in contention [this year],” Hammond said. “It shows the increasing interest in ASUS on campus and will foster lots of positive debate about the future of the Society.” Responding to reports of budget irregularities and substantial losses for ASUS last year, all three teams said financial ability was a priority, Tedjo said.
“If you ask anybody on the street what they know about ASUS this year, they’ll say [the budget irregularities],” he said. “We need to change how we think about finances within ASUS.”
Tedjo added his team would initiate a full audit, introduce monthly public budgets and establish a board of directors to keep watch over finances.
“We need people not distracted by politics and the day-to-day business of ASUS to act as the ‘financial officers,’ ” he said.
Rubin, who is an ASUS representative to AMS Assembly, said he and his running mate were surprised by the final numbers from the 2004-05, budget adding that if elected, they could make a difference.
“We decided that the best way to help what we love is to become part of it,” he said.
Rubin said his team has suggested creating an ASUS board of directors, as well as a two-year chair position to oversee the budget. “One of the criticisms at the assembly was that after the vice-president’s job is over on May 1, he’s no longer able to the Society,” Rubin said. “This [two-year] position fills in that gap.”
Duncan praised current VP Lyndsey Hannigan and the 2005-06 ASUS executive for increased ability measures and stated her intention to continue down that road.
“[ASUS and the current VP] have made big strides this year with providing monthly updates of the budget, keeping it accessible to the people, and it’s important to keep this up,” Duncan said.
Duncan said her team would make budget reviews available before Assembly, giving people time to ask questions. All candidates cited extensive previous experience in ASUS and in student government to prepare them for the presidential position. Tedjo said his current position as vice-chair of the AMS Board of Directors gives him experience with finances that he believes ASUS needs, while his initiative to create a disaster relief fund reflects ASUS’ charitable concerns.
“I believe ASUS has a huge social conscience,” he said.
Tedjo said running mate Grosser’s involvement in ASUS Assembly and as ASUS ’07 year society VP, has given her insight into how the society works. Rubin said he is offering a ion for student government and a proven track record of hard work for ASUS.
“I want to make their [students in the Faculty of Arts and Science] experience here the best four years of their lives,” he said. He added that running mate Jorgensen strengthens the team’s qualifications.
“Lisa is driven, hard-working, dedicated and extremely smart,” Rubin said.
Duncan said her involvement in ASUS, including her position as 2005-06 co-chair of the women’s empowerment committee, has prepared her well for the position. “I feel I understand how ASUS works,” she said. “I have the ability to keep things going and raise the bar.” Duncan said both she and running mate Abrey, who is the 2005-06 ASUS internal affairs commissioner, share a commitment to ASUS and complement each other as a team. “We bring different things to the table but have the same vision of what we want for ASUS,” she said.
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