Students meet ASB candidates in Union

Laura Moore
dm Staff writer

The Students and their importance to Ole Miss was the focus at Thursday afternoon's "Meet the Candidate" rally held in front of the Union.
"Whatever happens here affects the students," Thomas Wallace, interim vice chancellor of student life said at the opening of the rally, "and also the state and the country."
Although the rally put the spotlight more on the ASB presidential candidates, students got to hear everyone running for a particular spot in the cabinet.
"I am glad that these people are opening the lines of communication with us," Loli Bet-sayad, freshman MIS law major said. "It is also good to see a lot of people wanting to better Ole Miss."
All candidates gave their platform and spoke of the issues that meant the most to them. All of the opponents had their different ways of fixing things, but they all agreed on one thing, returning the issues back to the students.
"As a ASB senator last year," Nick Lott, presidential candidate and junior political science major said. "I came to the conclusion that students were not being represented, meaning only few groups on campus are."
Lott also expressed his ideas of wanting another branch established in the ASB.
" I want to form a House of Representatives composed of faculty, administration, and students," Lott said. "We need to more inclusively explore representation."
Opposing Lott's idea is another presidential candidate, Jason Wilkins, senior secondary education major. Wilkins believes that the creation of another house would just cause more confusion. He wants to go for more seats in the cabinet that would represent a college or school.
"Two houses would spend more time lobbying for bills," Wilkins said. "We need to work more for the student concerns."
Third year accounting major and also a presidential candidate, John Lawrence told students when he got to the podium that if elected president of ASB, he would do anything possible to get a issue dealt with, the way students see fit. He said he is working for the students and pushing for their concerns.
"My office hours will be like a business," Lawrence said. "I will also be available to students whenever needed."
He also will work to create more student organizations, research where ticket revenue is going, like most candidates, and push for student issues.
"I will be here for the students until the end," Lawerence said.
Alex Farlow, economics major, will also be the voice in fighting for student rights. Farlow thinks issues should be given back to the students and out of task forces hands.
"The student's voices need to be heard," Farlow said.
The remaining two presidential candidates, Scott Walker and Gene Hauck talked about their own individual ideas of change.
Some of Walker's goals are to expand recycling to the whole campus, having designated drivers, and more advisors for students. Also, the Daily Mississippian would be a key to helping students get involved, and according to Walker, the Daily Mississippian would be apart of the ASB meetings.
"The DM is the life-line here," he said. "ASB success will come from them."
Hauck, a pre-med major, wants to push for more parking and get that problem dealt with by the money charged to student tickets, handi-cap accessibility, and, most importantly, safety for students.
"Students will also get the chance to get out of a ticket by doing other things, like patrolling the parking area," he said.
Students will get the chance to hear the candidates one last time before the Tuesday elections when they face-off Monday at 8 p.m. in a debate.