As the spring semester is proceeding it is time for Student Senate to hold President and Vice President elections. Andrew Mantenieks with running mate with Noah Stamper as his Vice President competing against Andrea Hoffman with running mate Zak Kratowicz as her Vice President.
Both candidates have been campaigning all around campus. It has been hard for them to converse with students in person because of the pandemic. However, they both have been doing a great job of using the resources they have available to them such as social media.
Andrew Mantenieks goals include, improving campus wifi, expanding food options and the times they are open, using Student Senate money more efficiently, and enhancing the transparency between the students and Student Senate.
First the wifi, everyone blows it off but it needs to be addressed, they want to use Student Senate money to fix this. Secondly, expanding food options and the times they are open, what he means by this, is for all dining places on campus to have a bigger menu and to possibly be open 24/7. As Mantenieks said “Students need access to food. Majority of students have a busy schedule that doesn’t give them free time to eat until late at night”. Student Senate receives a budget every year and Mantenieks and Stamper both want that money to be going back to the students in a beneficial way.“The students need to know we are here for them and that we are trying but also we want to be a voice for the students, and you can’t be a voice if you don’t talk to the students” Mantenieks voiced. Their means of enhancing transparency is letting the students know every inch of information that goes on behind the scenes.
Mantenieks and Stamper really believe the students have been doing phenomenal with the struggles that have come into their path so far. They want to implement an after covid celebration. Mantenieks enunciated that “We all went into this together and we all go through it together. Every student needs relief from this year we sacrificed.”
Andrew Mantenieks and Noah Stamper understand it is important for real representation and that nothing is going to change if we don’t push. “Hold us accountable” they both exclaim.
Andrea Hoffman and Zak Kratowicz have some unique goals of their own and some in common with their opposing candidates. Their goals include making the health center more available to students, partnering with multiple organizations to get better involvement, improving the wifi, making ONU cleaner even after the pandemic, giving more scholarships through Student Senate, and exposing transparency.
They want the health center to be easier to access for the students, especially as this pandemic is going on. Hoffman and Kratowicz want to partner with more organizations on campus to get more student involvement not only in that specific organization but also in Student Senate. “Partnering with more organizations will bring more entities to the table for students to also get more information while Student Senate can receive more information from the students too.” Hoffman explains. The wifi can be a pain in the butt sometimes and they want to improve it especially outside on the tundra. When Hoffman said one of her goals was making ONU cleaner even after the pandemic, what she means is that the pandemic has pushed us to clean/sanitize more than we ever have and she wants to continue those procedures after the pandemic to make the environment cleaner for everyone. With the resources they get from Student Senate they want to give back to the students by giving out student scholarships.
Above all these goals Hoffman and Kratowicz want transparency. They want the students to have knowledge of what’s going on around them and to be involved. Hoffman states “No matter who wins it will beneficial for the students and the school and change will happen.”
The results of the election rolled in announcing Andrew Mantenieks with running mate Noah Stamper have won! Mantenieks was sworn into office yesterday February 24th, 2021 by ONU’s President Dan DiBiasio. Student Senate President Andrew Mantenieks starts his position by saying “Me and my VP are ecstatic to get to work and I encourage the students to reach out if you ever need anything!” His first action he wants to get to work on will be following up on the wifi.