Student elections slim on candidates
Multiple Mesa Community College (MCC) student government positions currently run unopposed this year due to lack of student body interest. Only a few applications for executive officer positions at the Associated Students of Mesa Community College (ASMCC) have been turned in ahead of the March 8 deadline.
“Last year all of our positions ran unopposed. This year it’s looking to be similar,” president of ASMCC, Travis Heuber said.
Hueber is familiar with the difficulties in student engagement at both the Red Mountain and the Southern and Dobson campuses. He remarked that MCC was a “hard to reach, large population” and that students “already had enough on their plates” and didn’t want the extra workload that a position in the student government would entail.
When it comes to student engagement, club involvement in the student senate seems to be as effective as it gets right now. Heuber stated that the club was working on appointing a student trustee to the governing board. That trustee would be a student who sits on the governing board as a non-voting member, but can answer questions and be a student voice directly to the people that are their policy makers.
Charlie Kemp is the Chief Justice for the student government. He can often be found handing out stickers, fliers and other goods to students who walk past the ASMCC table located near the clock tower at center of campus. His job is to help oversee the election process and spread the word to any students interested in running.
“I think a major issue is still communication and connection,” Kemp said. “Trying to figure out how we can get them to run and what they’re passionate about.”
Kemp remains hopeful that more students will attempt to run. He said that he had a few packets handed out and he was just waiting for students to return with them.
“There is a habit of turning them in last minute. So were really hoping that students really get out there and start connecting with their community, making an impression on people and trying to get those candidate packets finished and turned in,” Kemp said.
Hailey Hardy is the current executive vice president of ASMCC student government, and one candidate for the position of student president in the election. She runs the student senate and meets weekly with clubs across campus to hear their problems.
Tuition issues for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) students, food quality in the cafeteria and low amounts of shade around campus are all issues Hardy believes are essential to students. She believes her experience working within the student government and her communication with school clubs provide the perfect perspective necessary to lead the school forward.
Campaigning for the 2019-2020 student elections begins on March 18. As of now the first public debates will be either on March 27 or March 28. This means that anyone interested in opposing current candidates for any of the executive officer positions of ASMCC must turn in a campaign packet by March 8. If no one aside from the current members apply, then the April 5 election day may be fairly uneventful.
