Kincart: Can the VanderToolen Ticket Create Effective Change?
Taylor VanderToolen answers a question at the town hall meeting for his ASUU presidential ticket on Feb. 7, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Hinckley Institute livestream)
February 7, 2022
On Friday, Feb. 5, The VanderToolen ticket announced their candidacy for the ASUU Student Body Presidency. Their ticket is comprised of Taylor VanderToolen (President candidate), Ashlee Roberts (Vice President of Student Relations candidate) and Benvin Lozada (Vice President of University Relations candidate). The ticket is running unopposed, but they still must appeal to over half of voters to take office. In the wake of many ambitious ASUU presidency campaigns, it is crucial we elect a presidency that can create effective change within the confines of the student government structure.
Structure of ASUU Within University
ASUU, like the federal government, has an executive, legislative and judicial branch. The branches work in tandem to serve U students. However, ASUU walks a tricky line between representing students and navigating relationships with university administration. According to the ASUU website, “The ASUU Presidency is tasked with both representing the student body to the University administration and overseeing the executive branch to ensure operational success.” The Academic Affairs Board is also critical to navigating this relationship. This board helps with university policy and decisions. Thus, the Academic Affairs Director is a critical appointment by the presidency.
Recently, ASUU was criticized for how they plan to reduce sexual assault on campus. Student leaders are quoted saying, “It is difficult to talk to the administration at the U” and “The only way to create change is to put pressure on the administration — they are scared their image will be harmed.” Further, former student leaders have expressed a similar sentiment. It appears the VanderToolen ticket recognizes this obstacle and has some plans to overcome this barrier.
What the Ticket Brings to the Table
The VanderToolen Ticket hopes to address the structure of ASUU and its impact on students. They intend to work with community organizations like the McCluskey Foundation and campus organizations like SafeU and It’s On Us to more effectively reach students and create change on campus. They plan to extend the scope of ASUU by creating a campus safety board to work with HRE and the U Police Department.
VanderToolen currently serves as the ASUU Finance Director, helping all branches of the government spend money and abide by guidelines. Lozada is the ASUU Assembly Treasurer. Their previous experience in ASUU indicates an understanding of navigating the organization’s structure. Further, the ticket hopes to have regular meetings with university leadership to help advocate for students in a way that unites the campus community — student government, student organizations and the broader campus community.
But, for this ticket to be effective, I need more explicit information on how they intend to fulfill these promises. Previous ASUU administrations had lofty goals throughout the campaign process but later faced unanticipated obstacles with the U’s administration. Burnout is common when fighting for inclusion — so how will the VanderToolen ticket persist amid opposition? I’ll be pleased if the ticket shows clear plans to work collaboratively and productively with the university administration. The scope of student government is limited, but throughout the campaign process, I’m optimistic the ticket will be able to prove how they will go about creating sustainable, equitable and effective change.
