It’s that time of year again. Believe it or not, the semester is coming to a close. ASUAF elections are here!
This year, the field sports three teams for the President and Vice President slots. Affordability and sustainability seem to top the list for just about all of the candidates.
The last ASUAF Candidate forum will be held Apr. 14 and 15 from 1-2 p.pm. in the Wood Center Multi-Level Lounge. The candidates all had more to say about the issues that are important to them than could be listed in their profiles, so students who plan on voting should decide to attend the forum, or looking up the presidential candidate groups on facebook.
Elections are on Apr. 16 and 17. Students can vote at a variety of locations, the Wood Center, Commons, MBS, West Ridge and TVC. Only registered students taking 3 or more credits can vote.

Presidential Candidates

Meredith Cameron (Pres) Delight Kennedy (VP)
Meredith Cameron
Running for: ASUAF President
Year: Junior
Major: Political Science with a Leadership minor
Bio: Meredith, was born in Fairbanks and has spent most of her life here, spending some of her childhood in St. Mary’s and Wrangell. She graduated from West Valley High. She began her college career at Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, then returned to Fairbanks where she got involved in many activities. She enjoys traveling to far-off places, staying active outside, at the gym and being with friends. She currently works for the Leadership Program and has brought events such as the 2007 Leadership conference to campus. She is also the Vice President of Finance for UAF Model UN and a member of the ASUAF Technology Advisory Board to make sure student money is spent wisely. She also traveled to Juneau to advocate for the Alaska Achievers Incentive Program.
Issues: Affordability, needs-based scholarships, student voice in fee decisions, ASUAF visibility, ASUAF taking a “much more active role,” sustainability
New ideas: Work with Career Services and the School of Management to market UAF students to employers, submit a weekly article to the Sun Star, promoting intramurals with events such as barbeques.
Why should you vote for her? “Delight and I are dedicated to Students. We
have seen a lot of the good and bad here at UAF and believe that ASUAF is
the key to change. We also can bring experience. … Together Delight and I can use our passions to help student organizations and the students of UAF and TVC to have the best college experience possible.”

Delight Kennedy
Position: ASUAF Vice President
Year in school: Junior
Major: Political Science with a minor in Global Studies
Bio: Delight has grown up in both rural and urban communities of Alaska. She was born and raised in the Copper Basin, specifically in Kenny Lake. Her family then moved to Fairbanks and she graduated from West Valley High School. Her interests revolve around my family, friends, education, community, politics, and my student activities.
Issues: Improving student involvement, funding for student organizations, a sustainable campus, improved communications between disciplines, and improving student activism on campus.
Ideas: Start an interdisciplinary task force of students that would examine issues on campus, like sustainability, and collaborate towards viable solutions; aid student organizations in fundraising; fight student apathy through the organization of student-led events.
Why should you vote for her? “I am highly qualified for the position of Vice President due to my extensive work with student organizations. I have had two years of experience in Club Council, which the Vice President chairs, and have been the Organizational Chairperson of Club Council for two semesters. As the Organizational Chairperson I have assisted the current Vice President, Danielle Ryder, in organizing the Club Council Spaghetti Feed-Dessert Auction and the Club Council Talent Show! I am also active in three student organizations, Model United Nations Alliance, Pi Sigma Alpha, and Students In Free Enterprise, so I have personally experienced many of the issues student organizations face.”

Ryan Duffy (President) Dan Neetz (VP)
Ryan Duffy
Position: President
Year in school: Junior
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Bio: Duffy grew up in Fairbanks, and graduated from West Valley High School in 2005. Duffy lived on campus his freshman year but is now an off-campus student. He has been an ASUAF senator for the past two years. He also enjoys hanging out with friends, playing air soft, and going to movies.
Issues: raise pay scale for student jobs, see control of the computer labs back in UAF’s domain, deregulate routers, put students on decision-making committees, affordability, decrease athletics fee, ASUAF transparency
Ideas: Work with administrators over the summer to increase student wages, continue the Clean Out and Recycle program, lobby for affordability.
Why should you vote for him? “The power of the ASUAF President lies in the ability to bring diverse people together for a common goal. With a new Chancellor coming to UAF, it will be important for the student government to keep the student body informed on what’s going on between ASUAF and the administration. Having been a Senator for two years, and working on a vast array of different projects, I’ve learned a lot about how ASUAF works. This qualifies me more than the other candidates to continue projects started by the current Executive Branch. … I am extremely concerned about affordability for the average student and I am committed to keeping student’s cost down. I am also committed to informing the students about what is going on between their student representatives and the administration.”

Dan Neetz
Position: Vice-President
Year in school: Junior
Major: Biological Sciences
Bio: Neetz grew up all over the United States, starting in West Virginia and ending up in Alaska. He graduated from West Valley High School, placed third in the Alaskan State Wrestling Tournament at 189 pounds. He enjoys reading and being outside, and works as a drywall finisher/painter in my off time from school.
Issues: Affordability, AAIP, need/merit-based scholarships, raising student pay, the shuttle system, transparency, student apathy, better internet and food on campus
Ideas: Encouraging clubs to plan fund-raising activities together.
Why should you vote for him? “I think the real question is why shouldn’t you? I’m hard-working, I’m not involved with the status quo (Let me hear you say CHANGE!), and if elected, I will apply my work-ethic to the position I’m given by the student body. Also, I am a hard-science major rather than a political science major which in my understanding is quite a change by itself. But I would have to say the number one reason you should vote for me is that I am poor, just like the rest of you. I’ve got your best interests in mind.”

Brandon Meston (Pres) Adrian Triebel (VP)
Brandon Meston
Position: ASUAF President
Year: Senior
Major: Political Science with NRM and Leadership minors
Bio: Meston is from North Pole and graduated from Eielson in 2003. He enjoys exploring Alaska, whether it be camping, hiking or driving. He also enjoys talking politics and sustainability and keeping up on what is going on state. He loves broomball and actually plays on a team! He also enjoys community service and traveling. He is currently an RA in Moore Hall and the President of the Sustainable Campus Task Force.
Issues: Give students a stronger voice, rejuvenate student involvement in Traditions, re-invent Club Council, transparency in ASUAF and the University, increase interdepartmental communication, student life on campus, sustainability, accountability, efficient use of student fees
Ideas: Re-establish and improve ASUAF Student Saver Program, host student activism workshops for local, state and national politics, develop Global Leadership Program
Why should you vote for him? “I think the city of Fairbanks, the state, and our own administration should put STUDENTS FIRST. We are not just a bunch of robots that will accept anything they come up with. My main priority is improving the quality of student life on campus and in the community. … I will make myself available ON CAMPUS and all of my actions will be public. I will also work to encourage students to participate in our campaigns so that they are more effective. … I advertise and participate in many events around campus and help make a difference. I’m not just talk. I will also hold myself and others in ASUAF accountable for what we do or don’t do.

Adrian Triebel
Position: Vice President of ASUAF
Year: Sophomore
Major: Political Science
Bio: Triebel went to 13 schools in 12 years. He is trilingual and enjoys spending time efficiently with friends and getting things done. He is an ASUAF senator and the Vice President of the German Club and Residence Hall Association. He is also involved with HOLA (Hispanic Org. of Latino Americans) and Amnesty International.
Issues: Increase student involvement, resurrect the Student Saver Program, affordability, sustainability
Ideas: Make traditions more appealing to all, make International Education Week a much bigger event with joint involvement from all related clubs.
Why should you vote for him? “I will represent the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Juneau and at home, the University means so much to me and I could make it more accessible to all that are interested in its workings. One of the primary jobs of the VP is to lead Club Council, I know what clubs want and will do all in my power to get them just that”

Senate Candidates

Sitara Chauhan
Position: Senate Seat A
Year: sophomore
Major: biochemistry, minor in political science
Bio: Chauhan was born and brought up in India, and recently moved to Alaska to study. She loves traveling and experimenting in the kitchen.
Issues: wants to raise ASUAF awareness, as wells as ASUAF transparency, promoting Diversity on campus, wants more ASUAF outreach to students, need-based scholarships.
Why should you vote for her? “I am the only international student on the senate right now. I want to represent students who come from all over the world to be a part of our
community at UAF. I am deeply grateful for the education I am receiving here, and feel it is my job to give back to this university what it gives me.”

Roman Kitaysky
Position: Senate Seat G
Year: Senior
Major: Russian Studies, Honors Program
Bio: Kitaysky is from the Puget Sound area of Washington state. He has previously been a senator on the university relations committee under former ASUAF president Joe Blanchard (’05-’06), with faculty senate liaison responsibilities. He plays for the UAF Rugby Club, and plans to use his experience as both a civics lesson and an enhancement to his law school application in the fall.
Issues: distinguish UAF from other schools in the U.S., increase cooperation between faculty and students through Faculty Senate

Michael Schulte
Position: Senate Seat C
Year: Freshman
Major: Alaska Native Studies and Political Science
Bio: Schulte moved to Fairbanks four years ago and graduated from West Valley High School. During the summer he takes any time he can get to go kayaking somewhere in Alaska. In high school, he worked to have Martin Luther King Jr. Day officially recognized by the school, and founded a student rights club.
Issues: more interaction between ASUAF and students, transparency with ASUAF’s spending, Need-based scholarships
Why should you vote for him? “I will work every day to fight for the interests of my fellow UAF students. I strongly believe that Alaska’s universities are the most important issue concerning our state, and that we should do everything in our power to invest in the lives that will shape this great state we live in.”

Jennifer Chambers
Position: Senate Seat J
Year: Sophomore
Major: Chemistry
Bio: Chambers graduated from Polaris K-12 in Anchorage. She is an RA in Moore Hall and has been on the senate for about a year. She currently chairs the Student Affairs Committee.
Issues: Push for lower textbook prices, expand textbook reserve program,
Ideas: more interaction between ASUAF and students
Why should you vote for her? “I have experience being a senator and have a clear idea of how to get what I want accomplished done.”

Not listed:
Andrea Devers Senator (senator of the year)
Arthur Martin Senator
Elise Sorum Senator