The latest ASUI elections featured an unopposed pair running for president and vice president. Lauren Carlsen and Joseph Garrett, the 2020-21 ASUI president and vice president, have been transitioning into their new roles since the election results were announced. They will be officially sworn in on May 6.
Carlsen, a senior environmental science major, first became a senator through ASUI last fall. She had served in student government in high school but was unsure that she wanted to pursue it in college. But Carlsen heard about an opportunity to become an ASUI senator while serving as the vice president for public relations for her sorority and decided to run for the position. She enjoyed her time serving for her sorority, but she wanted her work to have a broader reach on campus.
While a senator, Carlsen has focused on projects around the Vandal Food Pantry and the Sustainability Center. She said she enjoys ASUI because it gives her an opportunity to make a difference and speak with people who care about the University of Idaho and its students.
“It’s really easy to think that student government sits around and doesn’t impact students the way they think they should be, but when I get in there and I start talking to people, you can tell how much they truly care,” Carlsen said.
Garrett has served as a senator for two years. The junior political science and business management major also served in student government in high school, but at the time was not as passionate about it. However, 2019-20 ASUI President Jacob Lockhart, then president of Garrett’s fraternity, opened his eyes to opportunities in ASUI.
Over Garrett’s time as a senator, he worked on a student development portfolio that will send a compilation of senior athletes’ resumes to major companies. Garrett also participated in writing a resolution condemning recent Idaho laws banning transgender women from participating in sports and identifying as transgender on their birth certificates.
“Student government, as opposed to regular government, has a more hands-on approach with actual problems going on in the university,” Garrett said. “We can address or highlight a specific problem, put it into a plan and make that plan into an action and that action benefits that student directly.”
Carlsen and Garrett discovered they worked well together after working on a few projects together as senators. Normally, Garrett said, ASUI presidents and vice presidents have been senators for a long time. When Carlsen suggested they run together, Garrett noticed he was one of the senior senators and every member of the cabinet was a senior.
“Going into it, especially when the campaign started, we knew we were going to be unopposed,” Garrett said. “It was nice that we could then shift our focus from winning the campaign to getting the points on our campaign platform done.”
The pair plan to continue developing a student resource app that will consolidate important student resources like BbLearn, VandalStar and campus maps. They are also working on a program that will connect students with alumni mentors, organizing a timely grading system with faculty and re-opening a polling location on campus.
Carlsen and Garrett share the goal of making changes at UI for the benefit of the students.
“I am a very upfront person. I am not afraid to take a stand for what I think is right and I’m pretty loud,” Carlsen said. “I’m ready to fight for (the students) and if they have any concern or issue, they can come to me. I’m always open and I know (Garrett) is, too.”
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]