Presidential Q&A

In light of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona election season, the Kiva Room hosted two Q&A sessions for candidates to have a chance to outline their priorities and answer questions, discussing matters from mental health to existing campus services.

A March 23 session featured the two candidates for student body president, Katie Kelliher and Bhavya Makkar, where they discussed ongoing issues affecting students, and included much agreement on the necessity of more support for students in terms of mental health and student the importance of elevating the concerns of students.

Makkar, who currently serves as the vice president of the Asian American Cultural Association and director of external outreach for Asian Pacific American Student Council, outlined cultural resources as a priority if she is elected, stressing the importance of “third spaces,” or a place outside of work or school where one can be without any expectations. She used cultural resource centers as a major example of this in her own life.

“Speaking from the cultural resource perspective, these are amazing ways to foster inclusivity. Everybody is welcome at all the cultural resource centers, and right now, I really want to push for organizations within these centers to be brought to the general public so that we can all learn about each other’s culture together,” Makkar said. “I really want to emphasize that these are places for us to be able to learn about each other.”

Kelliher, incumbent ASUA administrative vice president, said that she believed that finances and cost of living as the primary concern for students, as well as noting existing efforts to support mental health, as well as emphasizing teamwork in her style of leadership, which she said that she had learned in her extensive experience in student government as adminsitrative vice president and previously as an at-large senator.

“I definitely would take into the next year, the importance of teamwork,” Kelliher said. “We’re better together. And that’s something I’ve really learned to prioritize, and we see the effects almost immediately on a day-to-day basis.”

One area of disagreement between the two was on the matter of how they would communicate student issues to the administration. Kelliher said that she sees the position of the presidency as one more of advocacy than as a liaison, and she said that she would 

“I would approach them as what they care about, as one of them, as a student,” Kelliher said. “So I think when you take the perspective of my worries are your worries, my cares are your cares and my struggles are your struggles, you can clearly communicate the needs more than if you’re speaking on behalf of someone else.”

Makkar said that her approach would be somewhat different. She said that students are the ultimate experts on the topics that matter most to them, and while she believes in advocacy, she believes that the president’s job is to “open the door.”

“I would really want to try and make those conversations happen in open forums,” Makkar said. “So that would look like town halls, open conversations, conversations where Admin is directly facing student bodies.”

Makkar brought up past listening sessions involving things like the Office of Public Safety as examples where students being able to voice their concerns directly to staff or administration would be a good way for students to be able to better communicate what they want to see.

Vice Presidential Q&A

Proceeding the Presidential questionnaire session on March 23, the candidates for both the executive vice president, Aparna Chandrasekar and administrative vice president, Kennedy Jennings, answered a series of questions as well. Each running unopposed, Chandrasekar and Jennings have previous experience within the ASUA body which allows them to see and plan policy to address issues facing students today. 

Chandeskar serves as the current ASUA Senator for the W.A. Franke Honors College, and also as this year’s senate co-chair and the head of the Internal Affairs and Accountability Committee. She has centered her campaign on improving the transparency between students and administration and increasing senate visibility in order to expand support for student organizations via a larger outreach. 

“Senate is such a critical tool for student needs, but it’s so underutilized,” Chandrasekar said. “Students deserve to know about the resources at their disposal.”

Jennings serves a role within ASUA as the events director, although she said that she has contributed to public service and student leadership since her eighth grade year. She advocates a focus on strengthening programs and ensuring students feel heard through a certain level of integrity and transparency. During the discussion, Kennedy emphasized internal collaboration within ASUA as a key priority.

“If the inside is weak, how can we expect to serve others?” Kennedy said. “My hope is that I can better represent students and voice their concerns, but also help put those things into action.”

She also pointed to student accessibility and visibility as critical components of leadership, noting that student leaders must actively engage with the campus community. Many students are unaware of ASUA and the services that they provide and Jennings wants to change that. 

“If students aren’t feeling heard, that’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately,” she said.

Chandrasekar likewise heavily emphasized an increased awareness of ASUA resources and strengthening the role of the senate as a tool for advocacy. She described a disconnect between available resources and student awareness. She also emphasized an empathetic leadership style that is rooted in listening to student perspectives.

“Being able to connect with your constituents is such a crucial part of being a student leader,” Chandrasekar said. “You have to be able to understand people from all perspectives. It’s not necessarily about agreeing with the people whose viewpoints you’re talking to, but it’s about understanding them; I don’t necessarily need to agree with you, but what I will do is I will do everything in my power to listen to students’ needs and just advocate for them.”

Senator Q&A

ASUA senate candidates also spoke March 19 in the Kiva Room at the Student Union about outreach, leadership and student support.

In response to a question about new ways to reach constituents, candidates emphasized connecting with existing student leaders and campus networks. Ariane Kometa, a junior and incumbent senator-at-large running for Social and Behavioral Sciences senator, said “I think that it’s also really important to talk to other people that have access to people in your college… reach out to people that have a good amount of impact with other people. So that way you’re not so overwhelmed, because people like that have high voices, and they also know a lot. So it’s just important that you’re able to connect with other leaders.”

Jocelyn Flynn, who is running for reelection as senator for the College of Fine Arts, said, “I also like to use my office hours and email any important staff and make the connection there, if there are any issues, or if there are any suggestions on how I can help.”

When asked how they would foster communication with student government executives, candidates focused on collaboration and consistency among senators. Meagan Rausch, who is running for senator for the College of Humanities, said, “We are nothing if we don’t have each other.”

Diego del Villar, who is running for senator for the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, said, “I see ourselves when elected as a family, per se, as a team, as people who work together.”

Reese Wick, who is running for senator for the College of Pharmacy, said, “I think we are all united in our goal to advocate for all the students within the University of Arizona.”

When asked about leadership style, candidates highlighted empathy, accessibility and action. At-large Senator seeking reelection Katelyn Alvarado said, “I feel like my leadership style is best described as hands on.”

Kometa said, “I think leadership comes from a place of compassion.”

Raya Jefferson, who is running for ASUA Senate to represent the College of Education, said, “I think it’s very important to lead with empathy.”

Candidates were also asked how they would respond to campus crises, with several emphasizing communication and timeliness. 

“Incidents happen very quickly, and students want a response that day, that time when it’s happening,” Alvarado said. “Waiting to address issues in weekly Senate meetings can create backlash because it leaves a gap between when an incident occurs and when students are informed. Improving real-time communication, like sending updates through Slack, would help ensure students are informed when it’s current.” 

Daryn Ouk, who is running for senator for the College of Information Science, said, “it’s important that we have direct and open lines of communication amongst one another before speaking out.”

Voting is available online until 8:00 p.m. on April 2, with results to be posted the following morning.

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