ASMC election candidates

By Michelle Anstett
Courier Staff

Spring semester brings many things, such as warmer weather, longer hours of sunlight and the end of the school year.

Along with the end of the semester comes the election of new student organization presidents and the Associated Students of Monmouth College (ASMC) is no different.

The entire student body is eligible to vote for the positions of ASMC president and vice president starting Tuesday, April 18, during lunch and dinner hours in the Stockdale Center lobby. This year there is only one pair of candidates which will appear on the ballot--Richard Harrod and Paige Halpin.

Running for the position of president, junior Classics and history major Harrod is originally from Annapolis, Md., and has been a senator since his freshman year.

He has served on several different committees within the ASMC, such as the Constitutional Reform, Housing and Food Service committees.

Last year he served as parliamentarian under the leadership of president Ryan Schrodt, and he is currently the ASMC vice president, under Brandie Miller.

His running mate, for the position of vice president, is freshman elementary education major Halpin.

Halpin, from Pittsville, Ill., served on her high school’s student council and on the ASMC this year as the Newman Club representative.

She has also taken part in the Student Affairs and Information Systems committees.

The Harrod-Halpin Platform, as the candidates call it, consists of many ideas and hopes for the coming year.

Halpin stated, “Monmouth College is definitely a community,” and she and Harrod hope to create an environment in the ASMC where students across campus, not just current senators, will feel comfortable voicing their concerns and opinions.

Harrod agreed, saying he wants “to create a closer link between the students and ASMC.”

As part of their plans for the coming year, if they are elected, the pair hopes to create a new executive-level position for the management of publishing and public relations for the ASMC.

This member would be solely responsible for running the ASMC website and would help publicize the ASMC to the campus.

They would also like to investigate creating a joint student/faculty committee to explore the possibility of student representation on faculty search committees.

Together, they hope to create a new student committee within the ASMC to study student involvement and investigate how to get more students to become involved in campus life.

They also plan to continue funding as many groups as possible, increasing student involvement.

The winners will be introduced at the Honors Convocation on Scots’ Day, April 25.