Posters covered Utah Tech University’s grounds with the upcoming student body elections, which are March 3-5. All four of the candidates for vice president of clubs have placed these posters to convince students that they would be the ideal candidate for the role.
The candidates for this position are:
- Shellsea Ramirez, an individualized studies major from St. George
- Kaitlyn Hougham, a junior elementary education major from Las Vegas
- Ethan Aparicio, a sophomore psychology major from St. George
- Logan Swierski, a senior management major from Las Vegas
The four candidates each have differing pillars on what should be focused on. A pillar is a candidate’s assessment of needs for the branch that they are running, or what the candidate wants to focus on during their term.
Shellsea Ramirez
Ramirez is running for reelection this year and is the current VP of clubs. Her pillars are belonging, impact and engagement.
Ramirez said belonging is significant for student social health, and that she has observed this fact within herself, which is important to engage with students. As an example of incorporating more engagement with clubs, she said that last year the clubs organization had club tailgates before every sports game.
“I’m also very big on analyzing what works right now and what can be improved on. I’m a firm believer of constant improvement, so it can lead to growth,” Ramirez said.
Kaitlyn Hougham
Hougham has three pillars she is running on which are communication, connection and belonging.
Hougham said creating a culture of belonging within clubs is a reason why she is running for VP. She also said connection and communication between clubs and within clubs is an essential piece of why she is running.
“I would love to see more service hours being done by clubs,” Hougham said. “They do a lot, but let’s open up communication between them [clubs] and the community to plan their own service projects.”
Ethan Aparicio
Aparicio has four pillars: representation, engagement, communication and support.
Aparicio said representation has meant a lot to him as a member of the Latin community and the LGBTQ+ community. As a peer coach, Aparicio also said communication is an important part of organizations that helps build a stable environment.
“I am running for vice president of clubs for Utah Tech because I am passionate about supporting students and strengthening our campus community,” Aparicio said. “My goal is to help clubs get chartered, amplify their voices and ensure that they have the resources they need.”
Logan Swierski
Swierski has four pillars that include kindness, mental health, a sense of belonging and F.U.N., an acronym that stands for finance, unity and need.
Swierski said these pillars mean a lot to him and that mental health support is essential to aid students who need the help. He also said that as part of his role, he wanted to bring back club rooms and he has already talked with the dean of students, Ali Threet, about the idea.
“I am running for the students,” Swierski said. “I want to make sure our needs are heard. If someone’s going to do it, why shouldn’t I be the one to step up and help out?”
Voting opens March 3 at 1 a.m. and is open until March 5 at 5 p.m. Students can read more about each candidate here, and voting will be available on the Utah Tech website.
