On April 15, the new ASUW elections were announced at noon. Hunter Swilling and Colter Anderson will be the president and vice president respectively for the next year.
“We are honored that our fellow students have chosen us for these crucial positions. Our campaign was based on our core platform values of advocacy, community, and transparency. During the campaign, we talked with hundreds of students, and I think we have a real sense of the changes that students are desperate for.
“Our first goals will be to help end food insecurity at UW by supporting the UW Food Share Pantry and the Washakie Meal Swipe Sharing Program, and to begin work on some of our bigger projects like the creation of a ‘Campus Hub’ WyoCourses page where students will be able to find out important information like events that are happening on campus, mental health and academic resources that are available to them, and much more.
“There’s so much to do, but we’re excited to get started,” Hunter Swilling and Colter Anderson said in their statement regarding their election to ASUW
Taylor Nielson and CeeJay Berg, who also ran for ASUW president and vice president, gave a statement regarding their campaign.
“Our time campaigning was a wonderful whirlwind. We got to be a part of so many amazing things, see so many parts of campus we never saw before, speak to students we normally would never have had a chance to talk to before, and have enjoyed every minute.
“We accept this loss with grace and have high hopes for the university next year. We are graduating next year so we will not get an opportunity to run again,” Nielson and Berg said.
Nataly Pedraza and Ana Urena were unavailable for a statement from their campaign.
Former vice president Courtney Titus is a major in secondary English education and psychology. She has been involved with ASUW since 2018. Titus was elected in ASUW as a senator for the college of education.
“Online elections with COVID always makes it difficult to boost our turnout as high as we would like, but we have worked very hard in ASUW to market elections and increase voter turnout. It is an exciting season for us all and I enjoy getting to hear from all the passionate students that we have running,” Titus said.
Riley Talamantes, the former president and now senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, said that elections were quiet this year due to the pandemic. Talamantes also majors in political sciences, gender, and women’s studies.
“ASUW hosted a few different events we found successful in promoting elections such as the candidate meet and greet and the presidential debate,” Talamantes said.
Michaela McGee began her campaign in the last week of ASUW Elections for a seat as a senator for the College of Education. McGee is an elementary education and special education major with a minor in business.
McGee succeeded in obtaining the seat as senator for the College of Education. She is a part of SWEA and KDP where she serves as the secretary and treasurer for both student organizations.
“I’m hoping to mostly make this a learning experience and to bring some more transparency to the campus. I would also like to help future educators to become more aware about Wyoming and the legislation that is being passed in the state. I would like to represent voices so that we are knowledgeable about our future and how the education system works.
I’m hoping to expand transparency and knowledge to students through my organization and a seat in ASUW senate, especially as education majors make decisions into student teaching and afterwards,” McGee said.
Titus said in her continued involvement with ASUW she will continue the projects she did not finish while vice president.
“Some of these projects and initiatives include providing a scholarship for DACA recipients and international students, supporting ACRES as a program, expanding the cost-free menstrual products locations across campus, and increasing and improving outreach and education regarding student fees and tuition,” Titus said.
ASUW elections occur annually in the spring. All students are welcome to vote.
“I think passion, grit, and courageous vulnerability are all important to be in ASUW. These positions can be stressful but have high impact. You learn a lot and I think it is best to keep an open mind and lean in with inquisitiveness first. If you ask questions, are willing to learn and work with others, then you can carry your passions forward,” Titus said.
