The Secretary position for ASWNMU is being sought by two Mustangs with visions for the future.
Aundrea Romero is entering her senior year with a double major in Environmental Sustainability and Biology. Romero is from Safford, Arizona, and has lived in Silver City for the past two years.
Sabrina Summers is a first-year student. She is majoring in Forestry and Wildlife and is from Los Alamos, New Mexico.
The Mustang Newspaper interviewed the two students to get insights on who will be the next ASWNMU Secretary.
Q: What led you to become interested in becoming a member of ASWNMU?
Romero: At my previous school, I was a member of our student council, and I enjoyed the experience, the people, and the work, which is why I am interested in becoming a member of the student council again and to continue being involved in student activities.
Summers: When I had started my first semester in college, I had an interest in learning more about what the University stood for and how students are the primary resource of creating the best possible learning environment. Recently, I began attending the ASWNMU Public meetings held every other week. I started talking with senators and executive officers about student government and the importance of being a leader and a voice for students that need a person to confide in to be informed of concerns and problems that can be brought up to a higher stature. I want to work with others to promote the idea of students reaching out to their district senators and possibly making recommendations leading to more ideas and more substantial student participation.
Q: What is a problem that you have seen on campus that you want to fix?
Romero: Something I’ve seen on campus that could be improved is how information about events, opportunities, and other programs offered by the school for students reaches the students, as well as what student council does and how the students affect what the board does. I think that this can be solved pretty easily by putting out a weekly newsletter that has information about upcoming events, club meetings, etc.
Summers: I hope to have students become more involved in this by actively implementing the point of working as a University to create more opportunities for not only the students currently attending but also for future students.
Q: How could you improve the power of student voices on campus?
Romero: If students know what’s going on on campus and how they affect it. I think that they have a stronger voice; knowledge is power.
Summers: Promoting a secure and tight-knit student body will create enthusiasm and openness toward making a change and being fully supportive of student suggestions and concerns. With this approach, students can have power in their voices and be just a part of the change as anyone else.
Q: What does student partnership mean to you?
Romero: Student partnership to me is all about students working together to improve the school not only for themselves but for future students. Decisions, additions, and alterations made to school activities, clubs, etc. affect students both now and in the future, and student partnership is making those decisions and starting those clubs and everything with the hope they improve the experience of WNMU for future students.
Summers: None of this could be done without the support and importance of working with others and having an open mind when it comes to accepting student concerns. With the ability to work with others within the student body, and students attending Western, many changes can happen and could create an even more energetic and unified University.
ASWNMU elections will take place April 20 -24 and voting will be available through Canvas. For more information about student government, visit http://aswnmu.wnmu.edu.
