Before the Student Union ousted the incoming Executive Vice President, senators elected College of General Studies sophomore Kirsten Lundeen as Senate Chair and College of Arts and Sciences student Sean Dixon as vice chair over CGS sophomore Lisa Kurdziel.
“I love the Student Union, I love what they do and I wanted to be involved,” said Lundeen, who was unopposed. “My role in Student Union best serves as a facilitator.”
Lundeen said she will work with the vice-president of financial affairs and “pump up the Financial Review Board.” She said she would like to offer alternate forms of funding for students, including funding from outside sources.
“My goal is to make everyone more knowledgeable,” Lundeen said.
During his nomination speech, Dixon said he was prepared to accept the responsibilities and workload of the vice chair. His goals for the upcoming year include posting Union meeting minutes online and informing students about Union events.
“I want to get the word out to students by working with College of Communication and School of Management students,” Dixon said. “SMG students are learning marketing skills and COM students are learning about publicity. If these students worked for the Union, the combined skills would increase student awareness.
“I want to come up with a list of what we’re doing to inform students.”
Dixon also said he wants the administration to attend Senate and other student government meetings.
“They run the University and we run the University students, so it makes sense that we should meet,” he said.
CGS sophomore Lisa Kurdziel, who opposed Dixon for the vice chair position, said while she has only been a senator for a few months, her high school government experience and organization would enable her to be an effective vice chair.
“I don’t approach something unless I can do it to the best of my ability,” she said.
Despite her defeat, Kurdziel said she enjoyed the responsibility of getting in touch with people and as she prepares to enter COM next year, she said she would use her communication skills to inform unaware students about the good things the Union does.
Citing the importance of socializing, Kurdziel said inter-Union events would foster better senatorial relationships.
As procedure, before the vote, the vice chair candidates left the Senate meeting while the senators discussed the candidates’ abilities.
“The E-board is a crash course,” said Student Union Elections Commission Chair John Macom, in response to criticism of Kurdziel’s experience in the Union. “Lisa took it home and memorized it.”
Dixon was commended for his work on the Back Door housing website and general dedication to the Union. However, other senators questioned the significance of Dixon’s ability to work with the administration, citing it as a characteristic of a senator. Someone who is more outspoken is better fit to be a senator, and someone who’s more organized would be a better vice chair, members said.
Members also said Dixon has a lot of ideas, while Kurdziel seemed to base all of ideas on her high school experience.
In other Senate news, four new SUEC commissioners were appointed. CAS students Michal-Anne Fox, Eddie Garcia and Bhumika Patel, and SED student Jeanette Jankiewicz were sworn in last night. They said they would improve Union slate elections by increasing advertising on campus. This, they said, would increase student voting.
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