Three students are running for student body president this year, each with their own backgrounds and ideas. This past week there have been opportunities to get to know the candidates as they have been sharing their values and plans for their campaigns.
Ian Kelly
Kelly, a junior communication studies major from Chicago, has his campaign based around the acronym P.A.V.E. which which stands for purpose, action, vision and excellence. His five pillars surround funding for clubs and organizations, student voice, preserve tradition while embracing new ideas, increase food options, and close the gap between different organizations on campus.
Kelly said: “The job of student body president is to represent all students equally and that is exactly what I intend to do… however, I have noticed that there are certain groups on campus that feel a disconnect from campus.”
He wants to make it so students can combine and stack scholarships like at Utah Valley University or Weber State University. Other goals include giving clubs more money and increasing dining options by having food trucks come on Wednesdays.
Kelly said: “I want to make it clear that I did meet with the dean of students and with Dining Services and that is something that can be easily done. We can easily reallocate funding for that.”
Carson Warner
Warner, a junior criminal justice major from Las Vegas, is the vice president of student life in the Utah Tech Student Association and was recently crowned Mr. Trailblazer. He said one of his main goals for his campaign has been pushing for student involvement. The pillars of his campaign are engagement, belonging and representation.
He said that through engaging in the campus community, students can create a sense of home and create a memorable experience. He said students who are engaged in the community will be more likely to graduate.
Warner said, “Studies show that if students are engaged in their college, they are more likely to have a fun and unique experience as well as get better grades and graduate.”
He wants to create opportunities for students to try new things. Through school events and the different organizations on campus, students can find a home or create a new one.
Andy Hunter
Hunter, a junior biomedical science major from Ridgefield, Washington, is a club representative in UTSA and president of the Country Dance Club. He plans to incorporate more opportunities to utilize campus resources so students can come together. His pillars for his campaign are connect, empower and unite.
Hunter said, “Connection or belonging is one of the major issues students face and as such I wanted to help tackle that and create ways through using clubs and different organizations we have here on campus so that students feel they belong.”
He said there are a lot of resources that students don’t know about or know how to use and one of his goals is to create more awareness about the different resources available to students. He wants to invite professionals to campus to talk about various subjects like finances.
Hunter said: “This is a broad campus with a bunch of diverse people, and I want this to feel like a home for everyone that comes here, that they feel united. That this is Utah Tech University and not just different people from different organizations coming together.”
Each candidate has their own beliefs and ideas about how the school can improve and what changes can be made. Online polls for election voting will be open to students March 3 at 1 a.m. and close March 5 at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced March 7 at 8 a.m.
