ASPSU campaigns underway

The Elections Board has released the official list of 2010 ASPSU candidates. The updated list includes late-registration candidates, whose applications were due on Thursday, April 1.

President and vice-president candidates
Katherine Markey-President/Selina Poulsen-VP
Markey, ASPSU’s interim legislative affairs director, and Poulsen, a current Student Senator, are running on the platform “Students First.” Both are committed to student representation within the university administration, according to their candidate statement.

Markey and Poulsen have been involved with the university restructuring discussions and have successfully lobbied for an increase in additional funds for the Oregon Opportunity Grant. 

“These successes work hand-in-hand with our campaigns for next year: Ensuring that PSU has a voice at the State level, actively participating in Oregon University System restructuring, institutionalizing the food pantry and taking back student space,” Markey and Poulsen said in their statement.

Jil Heimensen-President/Johnnie Ozimkowski-VP (Write-in Candidates)
Heimensen is currently a member of the Student Fee Committee, and was the SFC vice chair until January 2010. Ozimkowski is the current SFC chair.

According to their candidate statements, both intend to apply “the lessons learned on the SFC to the larger issues directly affecting the 28,000 students at PSU.

“We would both embrace the possibility of rolling up our sleeves to work together in a sincere effort to improve the lives of our students and the PSU community, and would welcome your ideas on how we could better serve you in that capacity,” Heimensen and Ozimkowski said in their statement.

Student Senate candidates
James Au
Rowen Griffith
Patricia Binder
Makoto Matt Blasa (Write-in Candidate)
Matt Fleskes
Sephinesh A. Guild
Alejandro Hoyer
Adam Rahmlow
Armenia Sarabia
Lucius Shields
Jared M. Stromer
Cathy Symes
Karen Ulbright
Pearce Whitehead (Write-in Candidate)

SFC chair candidates
James M. Gent
Gent has served as president of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and is currently vice chair of the SFC. According to his candidate statement, Gent will work towards keeping the student fees from increasing.

“I would work to hold the fee-funded programs to an extremely high level of integrity and accountability,” Gent said in his statement.

Krystine A. McCants
McCants has over six years experience as a business owner, and spent her junior year as an intern learning about the SFC. According to her candidate statement, McCants has experience using limited funds efficiently, and plans to keep student funds down while still effectively funding student groups.

“I know how important every dollar is in this economy, and I want to make sure that you are treated as a whole person rather than as the fees you pay,” she said.

Syed Qasimuddin
Qasimuddin has run a small business and has worked at a PR firm. Although this is his first year at PSU, Qasimuddin has had experience in student government.

“Ultimately, I intend to stand apart from my fellow candidates in offering the right set of expertise and experience in collaboration with invigorating perspective that will best serve the students’ needs,” Qasimuddin said.

SFC member candidates
Aaron Aikin
Aaron Baker
Sid Gandhinathan (Write-in Candidate)
Yusuf Godil
Xiaoxi Mei
Molly Shove (Write-in Candidate)
Mart Stewart-Smith (Write-in Candidate)

Important elections dates
Today, April 6 – Student Senate debate in Parkway North from noon to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, April 7 – President/ VP debate in Parkway North from noon to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, April 7 – SFC debate from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.  (room TBA)
Tuesday, April 13 – Elections will begin at 9 a.m.
Tuesday, April 20 – Elections will end at 5 p.m.