Two men with little experience
get elected to top ASUN spots
Involving
Uninvolved
by Gwen Tietgen
Just by looking at Joel Schafer’s
and Riley Peterson’s credentials, one
wouldn’t expect them to be high
ranking leaders in student govern
ment.
But they hope their unexpected
success prompts other students to
follow their lead.
Schafer, ASUN president, and
Peterson, ASUN first vice president,
are the first two non-greeks to take
one of those people.
With Schafer’s encouragement,
Cogley applied to be a Government
Liaison Committee lobbyist.
“When I was being interviewed
(by Schafer), I felt like I was being
interviewed by one of my peers,”
Cogley said.
“I’m very encouraged by Joel’s
work ethic, and I think what he lacks
in experience, he makes up for in
me top asuin nara wont.
executive posi- // Peterson
tions since M The approachability said just by
1978. being in office,
“There’s a haS been poor in the he and Schafer
lot more cere- are breaking a
monial stuff past _ blit hopefully lot of stereo
than I expected, r r j y types that might
like going to after 11 months, it encourage more
meetings and J people to get
d inn e r s , ” W/// changeinvolved.
Schafer said. Peterson
Before win- .. said he has fresh
ning the runoff RikyPetCTSOIl perspective
election March ASUN first vice president about wjiat jt js
8, Schafer and like to walk into
Peterson had the Association
oeen strangers to involvement on
campus.
Now, the tables have turned, and
Schafer and Peterson are trying to
think of ways to get more students
involved.
Schafer said since he'’s been in
office, he has had some people apply
for ASUN positions who probably
wouldn’t have.
Vincent Cogley, a freshman
mechanical engineering major, is
or the students or the University or
Nebraska office for the first time, so
he knows what the average student
might feel like.
“I felt like I shouldn’t be in here,”
Peterson said, sitting in his new vice
presidential office.
“The approachability (of the
ASUN office) has been poor in the
past, and it’s not something you can
fix in two months, but hopefully
after 11 months, it will change.”
In their campaign, Schafer and
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Riley Peterson (right) and president Joel Schafer (center) celebrate their victory on elec
tion night, March 8.
Peterson emphasized planning a new
freshman orientation, increasing a
sense of community on campus,
offering online voting for campus
elections, starting a shadow senator
program and targeting students who
traditionally don’t have a voice in
student government.
Schafer and Peterson’s election
has had a varied impact on students.
Some said they still don’t know
what ASUN is, some said it wouldn’t
have an effect, and others said it had
a big effect.
Ashleigh Hartman, a senior pre
physician’s assistant major, said she
doesn’t see an active student govern
ment.
“I know ASUN is the student
government, but I don’t know what
they do,” Hartman said.
JefFKnievel, a senior sociology
major, said he would be more likely
to get involved now that Schafer is in
office than he would have been
before.
Omran Malik, a sophomore com
puter science major, said many inter
national students he knows are more
concerned with their studies, but
they do need more representation.
“(International students) need
more representation on campus
because it doesn’t exist,” Malik said.
One element of Schafer and
Peterson’s campaign platform was to
implement a shadow senator pro
gram, specifically to involve interna
tional students in ASUN.
Peterson, who is working with
the shadow senator program, said
implementing the program isn’t
going to be easy.
“We’re trying to work with it, but
it’s going to be harder than we
thought,” Peterson said.
Jeri Jensen, a sophomore second
ary education major, summed up
Schafer and Peterson’s status.
“Initially, I think people were
attracted to (Schafer) since he wasn’t
greek, and because it was a change,
and that’s what people wanted,”
Jensen said.
“But now that he is in office,
what he does in office is what is
going to make people be involved.”
They are here!
They will be distributed in the
Alcove or Rm. 334 in the Nebraska City Union.
Today and next week.
Seniors,.
They \Vill also be distributed at
commencement ceremonies on May 6th.
Come be a part of something of BIG.
(You can still purchase yours today for $40)
■?[ ' *
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Preserving your college memories.