SC candidate profiles

Steve Gilbert: President	No doubt you are probably reading this as you delay writing your paper, contemplate about what to wear to that party tonight, or as you eat your bagel in the Marketplace waiting for class to begin. Regardless of where you are however, the most important question you have is, "Why should I vote for Big Steve in this year's SC presidential election," or even better, "Why should I vote at all?" I don't blame you for asking this question. With catchy buzzwords like "Bermuda Triangle," "State of the University Address," and "Initiative of the Week X" tattooed all over AU media, who can blame the average student for feeling disenfranchised from Student Government. The fact of the matter is that our student government leaders have unfortunately lost touch with AU students. I offer myself to represent you as SC president under no delusions of grandeur. I go to parties, work to support myself through school, stay up all night debating the coolest Star Trek character with random people, and yes, study in my spare time. As SC president, I wish I could promise you free tuition, a trip to the moon and most importantly, the personal service of President Ladner to clean your dorm room. However, being grounded by reality, I simply desire to improve two simple things: To establish more effective communication between students and administration and to make students proud to be an Eagle! Those of you who I have befriended through two years of New Student Orientation know that I will go to no ends to entertain you and show you the truth about AU. I sincerely hope that you find time to not just vote for myself, but vote in general. Without your input, student government will continue to decay into obscurity.
John Lancelot: President	1. Gain the administration's trust so the SC could handle the tuition problem. We don't have their trust now, so we can't talk about tuition until we can resolve the problems in the SC itself. 2. We need a SC-run security detail to work side by side with the Department of Security as soon as possible for the coming summer and fall terms. I will not tolerate assailants violating female students. If I am SC president, the campus will be safer. 3. I plan to form a communication channel between the students and the administration through my office. We have to establish true school spirit and communication. 4. The price of meal plans is expensive and you can't use them anywhere you want on campus. That is robbery with violence! In addition, we need a place on campus where freshman and sophomores can eat a good full-course meal other than TDR. Shameful! 5. Weed out all the slackers and work with the people who want to have a working SC government. Harvard and Yale student governments have more power than we do. We must change that, and honor the SC like we would the honor the United States government. Get the members who attempted treason out! 6. The GA should have a permanent room or hall to vote, like a real voting body of representatives. 7. I propose to work toward making drinking on campus legal. I believe it would be safer for students 21+ years old to drink on campus than off campus somewhere in Washington DC. Students are drinking regardless of the administration's rule on a dry campus, and this rule can prove to be more dangerous for students that any other rule the administration enforces.
Matt Miller: President	What's up "The Eagle"? This is Matt Miller and I am running for Student Confederation president. I am a junior, a history major, and a legacy of my father and uncle who graduated from AU. My platform revolves around school pride, particularly making day-to-day campus life more exciting and active for all students. 1. Athletic Events: Every institution with an active, excited student body has athletic tradition (UVA, Duke, etc.) Since AU's move to the Patriot League, each year has seen increased pride from students toward sports. The rivalry with Holy Cross does not hurt either...I would like to see more pre-game rallies, more faculty involvement, and increased publicity for games. 2. Clubs: Students complain about lack of clubs that fit their interests. There are over 140 clubs at this school. The problem is not that they don't exist, it is that they are not visible. More club forums/fairs and increased contact with the AUCC chair is a must for the next president. 3. KPU and SUB: KPU and SUB must continue to be pushed to it's utmost potential. The current leadership understands the students' desires and must continue this trend. After all, when students look back on their school year, oftentimes the most important events involve the big name performers/speakers that they were able to witness. It is important to lighten the financial load on those that are stressed. Educating students about aid by compiling a catalogue of available scholarships that are readily available would be a short-term solution. Improving the endowment and assisting the capital campaign are important long-term solutions. As students graduate loving American University they will be more willing to give back and be involved as alumni giving the school a support group it so desperately needs.
Matt Merry: Vice President	My name is Matthew Merry and I am a sophomore from Monroe, Conn. I am running for Student Confederation vice president because the programming at AU is failing. Nobody attends the events at AU, and the people who do tend not to have a great time. It does not have to be this way. As vice president, I plan on looking into past programs to see what has worked and looking at other schools to find out how they draw crowds. Also, by working with other groups on campus to bring speakers or bands to certain events and finally eliminating failing programs, we can start new traditions and devote more resources to working events. While I believe that we need someone who will put together fun programs here at AU, this is not to say that I plan on just joking around during my tenure. Creating a better community atmosphere on campus is something I take very seriously and will work diligently to improve. So while I refuse to make false promises about things on which I cannot deliver, I will promise a noticeable change in the events at American. From administration to administration, everything has stayed the same. It is time to stop passing responsibility to the next group of executives.
Moamar Tidjani: Comptroller	My name is Moamar, I am a finance major in Kogod. I am running for comptroller to make sure that your money is better managed. I have the qualifications it takes to get the job done. I am sitting on the finance and the budget committees, I am a club founder and I am the former vice president of the Kogod investment Fund dealing with way over $40,000. If elected, I will work toward having a budget that will allow you to take advantage of opportunities that might present themselves. I will set up a legitimate fundraising system that will allow SC organizations and the entire AU community to take advantage of lucrative opportunities without having to go through an intense financing process. I will stress the importance of finding external sources to finance our events. I will set up policies that will apply a certain discipline on SC spending so that for every unexpected expense, the SC will be capable of filling the gaps. I will address the issue of SC salaries to make sure that students don't spend their money on executives who have failed to serve them. My involvement in clubs and student government has given me the opportunity to serve the students. I got involved face-to-face with students on campus, and they inspired some of my bills in the General Assembly. In the past, I fought to get the SC to give more money to the clubs. I will do it again. My program is about building a future. I want the comptrollers who will come after me to have it easy and I am going to set the example for them. This is not just about managing the present. It is also about managing the future through entrepreneurship.
Polson Kanneth: President	Hey! My name is Polson Kanneth and I'm running for Student Confederation president. Currently, I am a junior in the School of Communication with a minor in Political Science. My platform is simple, and most importantly, its goals can be accomplished. The first is Public Safety. When students are assaulted on our campus, it's a problem that cannot be solved by putting up more lights. There's a need for more Public Safety officers, an increase in their visibility and greater need for accountability. We need Blue Lights that are more technologically advanced, in accessible locations, and Blue Lights that students aren't afraid of using. We need to feel safe on campus because when one student is assaulted, we are ALL assaulted. The next issue we need to focus on and has been mentioned in The Eagle is to push for Financial Aid and Student Accounts to be housed in one building. Not only will it decrease the time many students have to walk from both offices, but also from personal experience, it may even lessen the burden that students have to go through dealing with red tape. Finally, we need to take a look at parking. Although I don't have my car here on campus, many of my friends do, and the costs of parking are ridiculous. To pay over $1,000 in addition to our high tuition is ridiculous. We also need to stop the illegal ticketing of cars that are parked in our neighborhood. It's not only wrong, it's illegal and I'm ready to fight for it. As Leonard Hall president, I've had fun helping our residents. Whether it's been an exploding stovetop or broken washing machines, I've always worked for the residents to get the job done and now I want to work for you.
Will Prouty: Secretary	I am seeking the office of SC comptroller because I believe I am the most qualified candidate who can best serve the interests of the students. I originally hail from the coast of Northern California and currently I am pursuing a double Business and Economics major. The Student Confederation must have a comptroller who understands the value of fiscal responsibility and realizes that the SC's money is really the student's money. My experiences and credentials are above reproach. Over the past year I successfully ran AUTO, which had a budget of over $40,000. During this time I also worked very closely with Comptroller Scott Rosen and gained an intimate knowledge of his job. I also served as the Letts Hall RHA comptroller for two terms. The students also need a comptroller who will work for more reform in the structure of the AUCC and more SC oversight over that body, as well as the Media Board. I will work with the next AUCC chair to bring more accountability to the AUCC, as well as greater visibility to their caucus elections. Fundraising is another critical element currently lacking in the SC. If elected, I intend to appoint a director of fundraising to aggressively lift some of the financial burden imposed on the students. The SC needs a comprehensive fundraising strategy.
Iwona Rusek: Secretary	Hello, my name is Iwona Rusek and I am running for Student Confederation secretary. I am originally from Poland but have spent the last 10 years in Rhode Island. I am a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, double majoring in political science and law and society. I want to be the SC secretary because I believe that I have the experience, determination, skills and relevant qualities to be an effective student representative and executive of communications. I do not believe in coming into the SC secretary position with a personal agenda or political platform; instead I believe that the SC secretary should come with organizational skills, effective public speaking and writing skills, knowledge on information technology, excellent communication skills and publicity ideas. Above all, the secretary should have the determination and spirit to keep the Student Confederation well organized and working together for the students of American University and keep the lines of communications between the student government and the entire AU community open and friendly. I have all these qualities. I have served in the General Assembly so I know what it means to represent your constituents effectively. I have interned with the U.S. government, from which I have gained experience with dealing with media, executing communications efforts, and in writing and speaking effectively. Working at the SPA dean's office has taught me how to be organized and gave me an expansive knowledge on the University as a whole. Being an ESL tutor has taught me patience and dedication as well as how to be creative in written and spoken communication outlets. As SC secretary, I intend to keep the SC website updated daily, keep the AU community informed on what its Student Confederation is doing, and work with all SC members to ensure that the SC is operating at its best to effectively serve every student. I promise to serve with integrity, honesty, respect and dedication. Please vote for Iwona Rusek for Student Confederation secretary!
Jason Trombley: Vice President	My name is Jason Trombley and I am running for SC vice president. With some of these ideas: I hope to increase the variety of programming provided by the SC. Also, I want to bring back programming that was done in previous years, such as the AU worlds fair and invite back alumni to increase school spirit. I think that the only way students can gain a sense of perspective is to understand where we (the administration, faculty, and campus) have been, where we are now, and what hopefully will be provided in future years. Then we can target more alumni to come back to campus, and then the administration and the SC can increase the number of donations to the school, to then hopefully slow the rate of increasing tuition. I want to change the Founder's Day celebration to reflect the year of the presidential election. Also celebrate the fact that AU was the first school chartered by Congress. Perhaps invite back the class of 1981, for in that yearbook, they had significant election coverage - what about alumni involved in presidential administrations? KPU panel discussion with them? Other ideas include: 1. North Side vs. South Side: Capture the flag tournament, as part of homecoming week to build campus camaraderie and community spirit. This would be from a Tuesday night at midnight to Wednesday early morning. Have donated breakfast foods from IHOP, Einstein's bagels and "Jamba powershots." 2. SC poker tournament: Held in the tavern, and show Ocean's 11. 3. AU Worlds Fair: Change up the idea of Artemas Ward weekend to celebrate the true international appeal of American University. Bring in the multicultural clubs, as well as SUB and KPU to host a big speaker and famous band/artist for the event. 4. Nov. 7th: The War Room: Co-sponsored by the AU College Republicans and Democrats and College Libertarians to watch the election coverage on Tuesday night in Ward 1 from 9 p.m. until midnight. 5. SC Video Game Tournament: Former VP Meyer's idea was great, despite some circumstances. But this would be held in the basement of Ward; playing games such as Madden on the big screen as well as Super Mario Kart.
Will Mount: President	My name is Will Mount and I am running for Student Confederation president. I am running for this office, because it is time someone in student government actually cares about you. It is time that someone listens to your needs, your hopes, and your fears for AU. As president, I swear to dedicate my time to Joe and Jane Student and not my own personal agenda. What will I do if elected president? I will improve campus spirit, affordability, accountability and transparency. For spirit, I want to build a Student Entertainment Center on campus. This Student Entertainment Center would have pool tables, big screen TV's, a bar, ping-pong, and an arcade. A Student Entertainment Center would create a common place for all students to go out and meet each other on campus. Through this common place, we could all meet each other, watch AU sports teams on the TV, and hang out together. You now might say, "How is this feasible?" The idea of a Student Entertainment Center is a feasible plan. My detailed plan, available on my Web site, calls for it to be mostly completed by Fall 2005. Furthermore, I believe that TDR meals need to be accepted at McDonald's, Subway, Marketplace and MegaBytes Caf. For freshmen, it's ridiculous that they must get 150 meals, and then have so few places to use them. Finally, I want a flat tuition rate, similar to the GW plan. Under my plan, tuition would rise with each new class, but then would remain flat for all four years. (For example, if the Class of 2006 would pay $34,000 a year, the class of 2007 would pay $35,000 a year, but they would pay the same rate all four years. If you want more information, check out my Web site at www.mount2004.com. A vote for me is a vote for you. You can count on Mount.
Jamie Rea: Secretary	General Information: I am a junior in the School of Public Affairs majoring in Political Science. Qualifications for the position: Orientation Leader, hearing officer on Conduct Council, intern at think tank, administrative duties in the School of Communication, member of the College Republicans, Class Representative in Allegheny Student Government (the school I transferred from). Platform/Issues 1. Student Outreach: The members of the student body are unaware of the daily issues confronting the University. Most students do not know where to turn when they feel there is a problem. The SC has made significant strides with HELP! and the weekly e-mails, but students need more. Some of my ideas to repair the disconnect include hosting open forums with executives of the SC and class and school representatives, posting on sites such as the Daily Jolt and SC website, and a more active flow of communication with students through email and the SC Instant Messenger name. Another avenue to explore is club/association outreach. By working with the executives, the SC can tackle issues that are important to a larger number of people. 2. The Web Site: The SC Web Site needs improvements. Its design could use improvement and it needs an easier mechanism to navigate. The Web site also should regularly convey updates on student issues, forums and general information. The Web site should be used as a programming publicity tool as well, along with e-mail and posters. 3. NSO: Freshmen outreach is one of the most important aspects of the secretary's position. Incoming students are excited about school and are eager to get involved. Tabling during orientation sessions is insufficient. By meeting with all of the orientation groups during orientation sessions, the secretary can make personal contacts with students. Students, in turn, will know whom to contact if they have any problems, questions or suggestions. An easy way to implement the idea is to contact Tiffany Sanchez and ask to have five minutes with each orientation group. Overall, the SC needs a secretary who is willing to effectively reach out to students within the organization and across the student body. Politics is a non-issue when it comes to the concerns of students. My priorities are clear: aggressive communication, transparency and improving freshmen outreach.