For a student body billed as the most politically active in America, you would have thought that more than eight students would have applied for the four separate executive offices in the AU Student Government. Three candidates ran for president, two for both comptroller and vice president and one for secretary.
AU students should realize that change can start right here on campus. Despite the unfortunate dearth of candidates, The Eagle has chosen four students who deserve a chance at running the SG.
President Mike Mayer Sometimes, good things come in quiet packages. Mike Mayer is that package. Reserved, but with an air of cool confidence, Mayer has demonstrated a conviction towards helping AU students.
Each presidential candidate claimed he would work towards increasing the openness and transparency of the SG, but unlike the others, Mayer emphasized the point as the most important part of his candidacy. Hoping to be the most visible president ever, Mayer could do great things if he is able to finally snap the AU student body out of its lethargy. AU students need both a strong advocate and a good listener - Mayer exemplifies that combination.
Mayer also has the benefit of being an SG outsider. While a firm understanding of the SG process is important, an SG veteran, like presidential candidate Andy MacCracken, can often grow out-of-touch with student concerns. Invariably the benefits of previous experience are outweighed by SG-experience induced myopia. MacCracken is firmly ensconced in this "SG bubble," where student concerns are often warped or forgotten completely. The SG needs more student participation and more student feedback - the campus-wide disinterest in student government proves that things need to be shaken-up. MacCracken only offers more of the same. Lip service to increased communication is not enough.
And while Mayer has no previous experience in the SG, he has not been wasting his time at AU. Previous experience at ATV has helped Mayer hone his communication skills, and his experience as an organizer for then-Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign has given him valuable management skills.
This is not to say that we endorse Mayer without reservations. His enthusiasm for change and transparency is laudable, but we fear his optimism and lack of experience could hamstring him when dealing with the vicious Undergraduate Senate. Furthermore, his lack of experience could lead to a longer-than-usual learning curve. If Mayer is elected, he will need to immediately establish connections within the SG if he hopes to be effective.
Despite these concerns, we think that it is worth electing Mayer as president. His enthusiasm for student participation in infectious - something this student body needs in an elected official.
Vice President Jacque Martin Despite having spent the last semester abroad in Hong Kong, Jacque Martin is more in-touch with the AU student body than anyone else running for office.
Bright and springy as The Eagle interviewed her via Skype at 3 a.m. Hong Kong time, Martin brings an insider's knowledge of the SG, with an outsider's ability to understand student concerns.
Martin loves AU and wants the student body to love it along with her. To help students along, Martin proposed various different programs that would spice up life at AU including bringing a '90s cover band to campus as well as the creator of PostSecret.
Her experience working for the Student Union Board gives her the experience necessary to make these plans a reality. Her love of this school gives her the motivation necessary to get it done.
Her opponent, Alex Prescott, was less prepared and less knowledgeable about the inner-workings of the SG. This had more to do with Martin's extensive preparation and knowledge than it did Prescott's lack of it. He is a solid candidate, who - if he wasn't up against such an all-star - would be a fine choice.
Electing Jacque Martin in tandem with Mike Mayer would put two enthusiastic, student-focused executives at head of the SG.
Comptroller Adam Q. Ma'ruf You always want the guy who handles your money to seem like he knows what the hell he is doing. Adam Q. Ma'ruf fits this description. Caring enough to fully explain the rationale behind his proposals, he was also condescending enough to seem like he knew more about finance than we did.
As ATV's treasurer, Ma'ruf dealt with a $25,000 budget - much larger than his opponent. And as an SG outsider, he would help complete the clean sweep the SG executive needs to remain in touch with the student body.
His platform also shows he has given serious thought to the problems a comptroller faces. His recognition of the different obstacles large and small clubs deal with shows a concern for detail that are fitting for a comptroller.
Furthermore, Ma'ruf consistently stated that since each student is forced to pay $75 in student activity fees, then it is important that as many students as possible benefit from the money. Ma'ruf believes it is the student's money and that they deserve to benefit from it. His emphasis on student feedback fits well with our previous endorsements for vice president and president.
This student-friendly outlook is in stark comparison to his opponent Matt Handverger, who blamed the student body during his interview with The Eagle for not reaching out to the SG. This misplaced blame is destructive to the SG's mission and has no place in the incoming administration.
Secretary Colin Meiselman Originally intent on running for president, Meiselman switched over to secretary when he saw that no one was running for this underappreciated post.
Regardless of the sparse competition, Meiselman has the tools to be a solid secretary. His experience as ATV's general manager has given him some important management and communication experience that will serve him well in his new post.
His desire to revamp the Web site and ensure that e-mails are sent out before events happen - a nice change from last year - would be welcome improvements to the SG.
