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Senator hopes for Sterling election
Aaron Sterling, a third-year public administrations major and senator representing the College of Business, Public Policy and Health, is running for the position of vice president of Student Government in the up-coming elections. This is Sterling’s first time running for an executive position.
“I want to be.vice president because I enjoy politics and representing my friends and classmates in Student Government,” said Sterling, who is from Skowhegan, Maine. “There are several things that I think need to be changed and/or improved upon in Student Government, and I think I would be a good person to see those changes through.”
Although only a first-year senator, Sterling has been involved with Residents on Campus since his first year of college. His past ROC positions include president pro-tempore and programming chair. He is currently ROC’s vice president. Attending GSS meetings as a ROC representative was how he first got involved with Student Government.
Sterling said he was involved with his high school’s student council and was interested in similar groups on campus, such as ROC and GSS.
“That’s the kind of stuff that I love, that I’m drawn towards. I came here as a declared physics major, but then switched to public administration because it’s what I love to do and I hope to make it into a career,” he said.
He said that for his first few years of college he didn’t know Student Government existed, which is one of the things Sterling would like to change for the students.
“We need to let students know that there is GSS. There’s not necessarily anything GSS does to advertise,” Sterling said. “I went to a Panhellenic Council meeting and only two people could name a senator. That’s a problem. Students need to know who we are and that we exist.”
Another campus issue Sterling hopes to address if elected is the campus’ lighting problem. He acknowledges this is a platform issue for candidates every year.
“Every year candidates kind of say they’re going to work on this. They take a tour around campus, set up a round table discussion and nothing ever ends up happening,” Sterling said. “I want to stop that cycle because I think it is a real problem.”
Sterling also wants to address the Theatre Department’s troubles. The Theatre Department is currently in the process of being re-evaluated and is in danger of being shut down.
“[I would like to] work with the theatre faculty, students and supporters, as well as Maine Masque to make the university administration understand that the theatre major is an essential part of this university and it is unacceptable that [UMaine] would be without such a fundamental program,” he said in his campaign write-up.
If elected, Sterling also plans to completely rewrite the financial policies of GSS.
“The financial policies are horrible. They’re contradictory and easily misunderstood. I will see to it that the financial policies are revamped, not so that it will be more easy to get money, but so that it will be less complicated,” Sterling said. “Clubs have come up to me and said that they’ve needed money but haven’t asked [GSS] because of how hard it is to get it.”
The chief difference in Sterling’s campaign from the other candidate’s, he said, is the inclusion of the Theatre Department.
“A few people had mentioned that I should look into it and add it to my platform, so I did look into it and decided to add it,” he said.
There are some things happening in senate that Sterling would like to continue.
“Matt has started some decent stuff, I’ll grant him this much,” Sterling said. “Some things I’d like to do differently, some things I’d like to continue.”
He would like to continue working towards re-establishing the University of Maine Organization of Student Governments, something the current VP has started.
An ad hoc committee was recently created in GSS to approach the administration and discuss the increase in fees. Sterling feels this should be made a permanent committee.
“Fees are always an issue that is really contended with by students,” he said. “If nothing else I’d like to at least get an understanding ironed out.”
He’d also like to “increase the professionalism and streamline the workings of Student Government and [GSS],” he said.
“Most of what I’d like to do differently is in the senate, things senators are going to notice more than anyone else,” he said. “Right now it’s nothing for a meeting to go on for two or more hours. I’d like to shorten meetings.”
Sterling is currently on the ad hoc fees committee and the Governmental Procedures Committee of GSS. He was recently chair of the Fair Elections Practices Commission, but stepped down in order to run for vice president.
Along with these duties, Sterling is involved with Peer Educators on a volunteer basis, the roller hockey club and the Black Bear men’s chorus. He is also the vice chair of the UMaine College Republicans.
You can find a more detailed platform description in the Student Government folder on FirstClass.
Gagnon wants to continue work
Matthew O. Gagnon, a political science major and current Student Government vice president, is running for this position in the upcoming Student Government elections. Gagnon has held the position of vice president for a semester. He took Kamal Shanak’s place at the beginning of the year after Shanak resigned. He also ran for the position last year.
Gagnon, who is from Hamden, Maine, joined General Student Senate one month after he got to the University of Maine and has been involved for the past three years.
Most of his platform is a continuation of the issues he has been working on in GSS.
One of these issues is to resurrect the University of Maine Organization of Student Governments, which was discontinued in the mid-1990s due to a lack of interest.
“This is a body of Student Government representatives from all of the University of Maine System schools. The body would meet to discuss issues that affect each university, and the system collectively,” Gagnon wrote in his campaign write-up.
“From what I’ve been getting from other student government officials around the state, they are very into this idea,” Gagnon said. “I’m planning a summit in January for it. I’ve gotten responses from every school in the system.”
Gagnon said he would also like to increase the students’ say on campus.
“I’ve met with the Faculty Senate and the president of the Association for Graduate Students,” he said. “I’m setting up a process now, just getting my feet wet. I’ve made a lot of connections. I don’t see this project going forward if I don’t get elected.”
Gagnon wants to continue his work with the Orono and Old Town Council liaisons.
“The people in the community don’t like us very much. They view us as people who come in for a while, trash the town and leave,” he said. “I’d like to set up something with the liaisons as an ambassador, for lack of a better word, to improve our image around the community. People really assume we got no love in the community.”
GSS has also been working on making students and the administration aware of the possible dangers of using social security numbers for identification numbers. The administration is in the five-year process of getting a computer system that would allow them to use random numbers for ID numbers. Gagnon said he wants to follow up on this to make sure the administration continues with it.
Gagnon’s platform also includes bringing back the student yearbook, which was discontinued in the mid-1990s because not enough students were buying it.
“I’m not going to do any promises about it, but I’m looking into bringing it back,” Gagnon said. “It’s kind of sad that we don’t have one, with all the clubs and activities that are going on.”
He also plans on working on some “cosmetic stuff” for GSS. He’d like to increase the professionalism of the senate. He said he has already taken steps toward doing this.
“I instated the dress code last year, which is voluntary of course, but it makes us feel more professional,” he said.
“I also want the senate to be a bit more ruly. In the past senators would talk out of turn and be unruly. This didn’t look good to visitors who would come to the meetings,” Gagnon said. “It’s very important for us to act professional and to be taken seriously. We should put on a good face for the university.”
Another cosmetic area he’s currently working on is meeting with the chairs of the 115 clubs under student government.
“They can’t just flow through the process, [of receiving money from GSS]” he said. “Clubs don’t know how to approach us, so I’m giving them a packet on that.And it’s good to make contact and good to have dialogue.”
He is in the process of giving out the information packets, seeing 15 to 20 clubs a week and he said he should be done with this by elections.
Gagnon differs from the other candidate, he said, in that he doesn’t need training for the job.
“Aaron and I are actually friends,” he said. “We used to talk about GSS all the time. I think my platform is a little more in-depth because I know the process.”
Gagnon said he spends about 30 hours a week at his job as vice president, which requires only 10.
“I go through so many packages of hot chocolate because I’m in [the office] so much and need something to drink,” he said. “I do it just ’cause I like it.”
As vice president, Gagnon can’t join any GSS committees. But in the past he was president pro-tempore for GSS, vice chair and chair of the Student Affairs Committee and served on the Public Relations Committee.
Along with these responsibilities Gagnon also works two jobs, one at Best Buy, the other as a lifeguard and swim instructor at a pool in Hamden. He also likes to play sports, such as football, rugby and tennis and is active in the UMaine College Republicans.
You can find a more detailed platform description in the Student Government folder on FirstClass.
Related Posts:- Reynolds drops out of VP race (November 25, 2002)
- Gagnon remains VP, barely (January 28, 2002)
- SG VP plans big for new position (December 12, 2005)
- Student Government VP adjusts to new position (February 12, 2001)
- GSS: New VP, same election woes (September 9, 2010)
