There is more to Emily Fritze than meets the eye, or the computer screen.

Fritze, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, is out to prove that the life of the student body president involves more than senate meetings and scheduled public appearances — and she’s doing it one blog post at a time.

“”Ideally, it is a transparency piece,”” said Fritze of her WordPress blog, which made its Internet debut earlier this month.

Fritze started the blog, the first one she has ever run, to expand on the work that ASUA does with social media. The UA student government also runs their own Twitter and Facebook pages.

Fritze’s goal for the semester is broad, getting those who normally feel excluded to get involved with their student government.  

“”I want to be able to encourage students that they can participate,”” Fritze said. “”Student government uses student apathy as an excuse (but) we need to better engage students.””

With posts ranging from a funny picture or a snippet from a public event to longer, more issue-based fare, Fritze says she believes the blog can let people see the parts of the job that normally are not broadcast to students.

Her mission is not just to leave her mark on the university, but being only the eighth female student body president in the university’s history, to also be as inspirational to others as former women presidents are to her.

Fritze remarked about an column  she read in the Arizona Daily Wildcat from 1998, detailing a then-senior’s experience with her female student body president her freshman year.

“”‘How nice to see an elected official after they have been elected,'”” Fritze read. “”That is something that really means a lot to me.””

It will take some time to see if these efforts clear the murky waters, which exist between the student body and their student government. But for Fritze, this is one small step toward a new era in openness and accessibilityfor ASUA.

“”I can’t expect every student to come (to an event) or to read (my blog),”” she said. “”Maybe we can’t change seniors’ minds … but we can make a positive impression on people when they first get here.””

Although the blog is her main focus, she believes in the future such transparency and technological initiatives, including broadcasting live streams of senate meetings online, can also help get students get educated and involved.

“”It will help to show students that we work really hard, that we are up at all hours of the night. It will show that ASUA is not just a party planning committee,”” Fritze said.