Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a four-part series on election parties. The third article will be published Feb. 20.
Hoping to bring about an “atmosphere change” within ASUU, Activate Party members said they want to break down the barriers and “cliques” within the student government.
“Year after year, the same people run for office and serve in (the Associated Students of the University of Utah),” said presidential candidate Cameron Beech. “We’re fresh faces and we want to bring in fresh faces — we’re not just a party of friends.”
Beech is running with Ryan Carrier for vice president and Cammi Cardon for senior class president.
“Recently, ASUU has detached itself from the student body more than in years past,” Carrier said. “They’ve become more hidden.”
Although they looked for candidates with some experience or knowledge of ASUU, they also looked for students with new ideas, Cardon said.
Beech, who served as ASUU executive assistant and spokesman last semester, said he believes his experience in ASUU will help him serve as president. Beech was a member of Freshman Council last year.
“Especially as spokesman, I was responsible for working closely with all ASUU boards — I know what works and what doesn’t,” Beech said. He said he was able to connect with numerous student groups through his work in ASUU.
Carrier and Cardon said they hope to connect with students through their involvement with the greek system, which allows them to do community service and develop leadership skills.
Carrier was president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity for a year and a half and resigned two months ago. He also was vice president for three years and is still a member of the fraternity. Cardon is vice president of finance for the Pi Phi sorority. Beech recently resigned from Kappa Sigma.
Carrier and Beech have also been involved in the Residence Halls. Beech was a floor president and Carrier was a resident adviser.
All three candidates are from Utah — Beech is from Vernal, Carrier is from Sandy and Cardon is from Ogden.
Cardon, a junior finance and accounting major, went to Arizona State University for a year before transferring to the U when she was a sophomore. Carrier is a senior in business administration and anthropology. Beech is a junior in political science and sociology.
Both Carrier and Cardon plan to obtain Master’s of Business Administration degrees after they graduate. Beech hopes to become an attorney.
Although the Activate Party was found guilty of a grievance for speaking with the media before active campaigning, Beech said the rest of his campaign will be “nothing but positive.”
“This just shows that there are fundamental flaws in ASUU, and we will try to focus on how to fix them so that this kind of confusion will not exist,” Beech said.
The three said they believe their party’s name — Activate — is representative of their goal to revitalize ASUU and the student body.
Josh LeeCameron Beech
Josh LeeRyan Carrier