The 2013-14 ASUI term was, according to former ASUI President Max Cowan, one of the most productive years in ASUI ever.
Now with a new crop of issues facing students at the University of Idaho, ASUI President Nate Fisher and Vice President Sarah Vetsmany hope to keep last year’s momentum going. Unlike Cowan and former ASUI Vice President Taylor Williams, who Fisher said took more of a divide-and-conquer approach to issues, Fisher and Vetsmany plan to tackle issues as a collaborative force.
“We definitely have our own issues that we feel passionate about, and we are goingtoseewherewecangofromthere,” Fisher said. “But on certain issues, we want to be two minds working together… and we definitely do work together about 80 percent of the time.”
High on Fisher and Vetsmany’s list of projects is strengthening the Idaho Student Association, a student advocacy group that was the cornerstone of the duo’s election platform last semester.
According to ASUI Director of Policy Tanner Beymer, from a policy stand- point the ISA is ASUI’s highest priority.
“We’d like to see it come off the ground as an entirely separate entity with their own lobby points for the next legislative session,” Beymer said. “That way, I can focus on things that more relate to the University of Idaho. For example, when the guns issue came up, allofIdaho’spost-secondaryinstitutions agreed on it, so we can say, ‘that’s ISA’s thing, and they’re going to take care of it,’ and then I can worry about how much funding UI will get from the leg- islature and things of that nature.”
Beymer said the ISA would serve as the collective voice of Idaho’s post- secondary students. Fisher said he and Cowan are working to put together a summit with other student leaders from across the state to take steps towards solidifying the ISA, slated to take place in November.
Past ASUI officials have tried to kick start the student group, but Fisher said these efforts never came to fruition due to a lack of long-term planning.
“I think that with this summit, the ISA can become a legitimate, function- ing group that will have structure so it can be successful for the long term,” Fisher said. “What’s happened in the past is it’s picked up a little bit of steam, but it dies just as quickly as the conversation started because there was no succession plan. Student body presidents leave and someone new has to come in to pick up the pieces — I think this is the first time we’ve actually had an event that’s created structure. Part of it will be writing the constitution, the election of officers and finding people who are fully committed.”
Beymer said now that the semester has started, the executive members of ASUI plan to reach out to other student leaders about the ISA.
Another issue on Beymer’s plate is the tobacco-free campus initiative — a topic that he admits gives him some confusion.
“In my mind, what the Tobacco Task Force put out last year is like a statement of intent,” Beymer said. “It didn’t say anything other than the intent of the committee to make campus tobacco free. It didn’t say, ‘we’re going to,’ which to me means that I have no idea what that means — does that mean it’s going to happen, that they want it to happen, what purpose does that serve? I would love to see what other members of the task force have to say about that.”
As a new member of the Tobacco Task Force, Beymer said once he gathers a bit more information, he plans to meet with Fisher, Vetsmany, ASUI Chief of Staff Pilar Alfaro and ASUI Presi- dent Pro Tempore Austin Karstetter to develop ASUI’s stance on the issue.
“It’s like going into battle and not knowing the enemy, or even if there is an enemy,” Beymer said. “Once we’ve established the target and have the means to accomplish whatever our goals are, I’m going in there guns a-blazin’.”
Speaking of guns, Beymer said that though the guns on campus ship has sailed, ASUI plans to continue monitoring it closely.
“Here’s what I tell students,” Beymer said. “The only ones you have to worry about carrying weapons on campus are those who are over 21, and 21-year-olds are not a majority. Those over-21-year- olds then have to have an enhanced conceal carry license, and only an Idaho enhanced concealed carry license. I have done exactly zero research into how many people on this campus fit that bill, but I would be surprised if it were 10 — if that.”
As Director of Policy, Beymer admitted he doesn’t have much direct interaction with students. However, Fisher and Vetsmany said they’re eager to tackle issues closer to campus, such as Green Dot, frustrations with the senior survey and the renewal of the Sodexo contract, among many others.
Fisher said he hopes to utilize more space for students, especially in the SUB, which he said has become an adminis- trative building when it should be a student one.
“It’s very different from say, the Boise State SUB, where there are bowling alleys, billiards tables, student run stores and study areas,” Fisher said. “Obviously we have the study areas, the ballrooms, the theater and the Student Media offices, but in my mind, a SUB is a place where students should be able to connect with other vandals, and we don’t have many spaces like that.”
Fisher said the discussion with UI President Chuck Staben has already begun regarding student space, and the conversation sounds promising.
Vetsmany said the main goal is ul- timately connecting students to their elected representatives..
“I’d really like to empower student government itself,” Vetsmany said. “Personally I think that on the senate side at least, I want students to know who their senators are and be comfortable enough to say things they feel passionately about, and just get a really good stream of communication in that sense, becauseIknowtherearetonsofstudents on campus who feel passionate about a variety of issues and don’t know where to go, and that’s what senators are there for.”
Vetsmany is currently working on a bill that aims to increase visibility within ASUI. She plans to propose it at the first senate meeting of the year on Sept. 8.
“There are a lot of big issues facing us, just as there always are,” Fisher said. “It’s going to be a busy year — a really busy year — but it’s going to be a fun year.”
Hannah Shirley can be reached at [email protected]