DSCSA Election 2010
3 teams campaign for president, vice president
Whitney Phillips, Amanda Anderson
Issue date: 3/3/10 Section: DSC News
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Abby Hirschi, a junior dental hygiene major from Layton, is running for student body president, and her running mate is Thomas Leavitt, a sophomore business major from Bunkerville, Nev.
Another student body presidential candidate is Nick Rhodes, a junior communication major from Bluffdale. His vice presidential candidate is Tim Poll, a sophomore communication major from Morgan.
Clyde Barton, a junior communication major from Orderville, and Mike Sheffield, a sophomore business major from St. George, are also campaigning for president and vice president, respectively.
Each team has a specific campaign, and students may want to know where candidates stand before casting their votes today. All six candidates participated in a question-and-answer session. The following are their responses.
ABBY HIRSCHI & THOMAS LEAVITT
Q: What is your biggest concern for Dixie State College?
A: Hirschi said: "Our main platform is empowering the students. Through the powers of club council and student senate, the student voice does need to be heard. Especially this last year I think student leaders have really caught the grasp of what they can do for the students, so we'd like to continue with that."
Q: How are you planning to address these concerns?
A: Leavitt said: "This year we've set up some amazing new structures. I think that's something [that] will be very key in making sure that the senators that are chosen to represent the students come from the different programs. Then as a senate we will push forward and use that voice to become action with the administrators and faculty."
Q: Why should students vote for you?
A: Hirschi said: "Along with that, I think the main differences between Thomas and I and our opponents is we are the team that has the most heart and soul invested in this institution. This is a great opportunity for us, but that's not why we're doing it. We're doing this for Dixie because of our love and passion we have for our school."
Q: How do you plan to promote student involvement?
A: Hirschi said: "Our activity growth rate has increased exponentially, and it's a direct result of how it's been broken down into structure. Through our activities, we've held a higher standard this year, which we plan on doing again. It's just going to keep getting better. We know how to publicize. We're going to continue with that, and it's through that communication that student are going to want to come to the events. The solution to getting students more involved is going to be through clubs-a club for everyone. You're always going to have an activity to join, places to go and people to be with."
Q: How do you plan to get student feedback?
A: Leavitt said: "We're going to encourage discussion in lots of different forums around campus. We're really going to push our senators to talk with their constituents. With the club representatives, we're going to ask them to go and talk with the clubs, not just be a nameless face."
Q: If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?
A: Leavitt said: "I raised pigs as a child, and that's probably the one I would pick. They seem to be the smartest farm animal. While they have the reputation for being messy, and I could probably fit into that category, I think that they are probably the smartest and one of the most organized."
Hirschi said: "I'm going to say puma because they're fast. They're strong. They have the edge. They're definitely out there to compete and be the best to survive. That's what we are-we're the best team out there."
NICK RHODES & TIM POLL
Q: What is your biggest concern for Dixie State College?
A: Rhodes said: "My biggest concern is maintaining mediocrity and going on the same path. I think that if we don't continue and we don't progress in this changing world, we will really plateau out. A lot of people still see DSC as that two-year community college, but if we can move past that we can see that we have so much to give if we could truly recognize our potential."
Q: How are you planning to address these concerns?
A: Poll said: "I have talked to a lot of students now and they just don't know that their voice can be heard and that it means something. We have a lot of opportunities especially now with the new organization that Dewey (Denning) and Nate (Jensen) have put into place. Now the students really do have more. It means more what they say now and if they understand that completely, they have a better chance of reaching their potential, [and] understanding what they can do here and what they can become."
Q: Why should students vote for you?
A: Rhodes said: "Hopefully they are seeing the vision along with us. . .Tim and I are hoping to establish a system where people can work with us. We are asking the student body to vote for us because we are throwing out our attitude, our commitment to endurance and our commitment to excellence. [We need to] work together as a team, not just as student government taking care of things."
Q: How do you plan to promote student involvement?
A: Rhodes said: "We are looking to establish a 'dream team part two,' surrounding ourselves with people who have good communication skills that can really reach out to diverse groups so we aren't just getting all the big numbers but also the underdogs, like the one, two, three groups of people."
Q: How do you plan to get student feedback?
A: Poll said: "We have all the senate and representation in all the degrees and if the students understand what that is, that would really help them in their lives. I think if we help them see that transparency of what they want to do and where they want to go, then they are going to easily be able to tell us what they think and how we can improve."
Q: If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?
A: Poll said: "I would be an orangutan. Their walk, first of all, is hilarious. It makes everybody around them laugh and they are pretty tough."
Rhodes said: "I would be a bear; either a big grizzly bear or a panda bear. I like the fact that they are big [and] they are strong. If he wants that fish he goes for it and gets it done. Not that I should be intimidating, but bears can also be nice and cuddly."
CLYDE BARTON & MIKE SHEFFIELD
Q: What is your biggest concern for Dixie State College?
A: Barton said: "My concern is that without the right people in the right places, they will not have the personalities to implement those people that go away from DSC without having [the] experience others get. I think that Mike and I have the personalities that can articulate personalities in those situations to reach those students that have never been reached before and then implement them into the system to provide a better experience."
Q: How are you planning to address these concerns?
A: Sheffield said: "I would say a real thing that we could do to help is we want to have particular times that we set apart for Clyde and I as president and vice president to have some floor time to mix and mingle, and have some floor time literally for hours with those students in a very high-populated area. We will get down there and actually have personal time with you and with your friends, talking to you, getting to know you, getting to know your concerns, and what you want from us..."
Q: Why should students vote for you?
A: Barton said: "I honestly feel my personality is outgoing, confident and I have the ability to articulate my personality to other students. I can make any student feel comfortable in any situation."
Q: How do you plan to promote student involvement?
A: Sheffield said: "The key foundation of getting students to show up to these activities would be communication. It's not that people aren't willing to show up. I think they very much want to. Instead of advertising two days in advance, we would really love to utilize the things that we do have. The TVs around campus, the newspaper; we also have the PA system to announce things."
Q: How do you plan to get student feedback?
A: Barton said: "We will continue to praise those in student government and search for those who are outgoing who will reach out to others who are not so involved. We [want to] represent those voices that haven't been heard."
Q: If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?
A: Sheffield said: "I would be a penguin. When you look at a penguin, they are loving life. They are the cutest little guys."
Barton said: "I would be a lion because they have an impeccable pounce. They are fierce and ferocious when they need to be, and can be tame and calm when asked."
Primary elections are today, and after votes have been tallied, the top two teams will begin their final campaigning. Final voting will take place on Friday, and winners will be posted on the student government room's door by 4 p.m. that day.
Voting will only be available through electronic polling this year. The computers designated for voting will be located on the Diagonal, in the Udvar Hazy Building, in the Smith Computer Lab, in the Russell Taylor Health Sciences Building, and in the student government room. The polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. today for primaries, and again on Friday for finals.
Nate Jensen, student body vice president and a senior communication major from Willard, said there will be someone available at each computer to help students get set up to cast their votes. He said students will need to have their Dmail user names and student ID numbers to sign in and vote.
Additional reporting by Rachel Tanner.
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