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NEWS / MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Student Senate candidate biographies
Editor's Note: The following biographies provide background information on candidates in the Student Senate elections slated for Wednesday and Thursday. Because the biographies were provided by the candidates and coalitions, The University Daily Kansan does not take responsibility for the views, opinions and information contained.
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
Ross Ringer
(Envision- President) $ ^{*} $
(Envision-President)* Sophomore Political Science and English
Prairie Village
I am running for President to implement programs and change policy in ways that will have profound impacts on
current KU students and future KU students because I believe that student government should serve to facilitate long term improvements for the university. I also want to ensure that there is more cooperation between the students and administration so student interests are adequately addressed.
*Pending appeal
Devon Cantwell
(Envision-Vice President)*
Political Science and Women's Studies
Topeka
I am running for Vice-President in order to establish a cooperative education program, substantially reduce the cost
Cantwell
(KUnited- President)
of textbooks for students through stricter regulations on publishers on campus, and create a new airport shuttle that would be free for students at the beginning and end of each semester. I will also strive to create a peer-to-peer diversity training program to incorporate into New Student Orientation and improve relations with student organizations on campus. *Pendling annual
Junior
Michael Wade Smith
*Pending appeal
Goodland
ARCHITECTURE
English and American Studies
I am excited to be running for Student Body President because KU is a great place already and by committing to
make it better I feel that we will make a lasting impact on KU for future Jayhawks. That is what leadership is all about—leaving a great place even better than you found it.
Megan Ritter
(KUnited-Vice President)
Sophomore
Philosophy and International Studies
Overland Park
Leadership is about passion, which I have an enormous amount of for this University. I hope to represent student
Mahsa Faghan (KUnited)
Ritter
Sophomore
voice and create positive changes to better the lives of current KU students as well as future Jayhawks.
Sophronore Overland Park I feel that KUnited has the capacity to change the campus for the better and improve the KU experience for
Faghan
Bailey Knott (Envision)
future students. I look forward to representing Architecture students with the hope of raising their voice expressing their feelings to make positive changes on campus.
Wichita
I am a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority, where I have served as a Social Chair and Sustainability Representa
Knott
tive, I have also served on Student Senate, and the University Affairs Committee.
Godfrey Riddle (KUnited)
Junior Olathe
I greatly value the opportunity to represent my fellow students as a Senator for the School of Architecture, Design, and
Riddle
Planning with KUnited because I want to see that KU recognizes and appropriately addresses all students' needs.
BUSINESS
Andrew Campbell Envision)
Junior
Accounting Overland Park
Oventa I am running for senator for the School of Business because he supports Envision's "Work for Credit" initiative.
Campbell
tive. This cooperative education program is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience and take on the importance in helping college students with the school-to-work transition, service learning, and experiential learning initiatives.
David Cohen (KUnited)
Junior
KUnited embodies the passion that all students have for The University of Kansas and gaining a seat on student
Accounting and Information
senate will give me the opportunity to express that voice. I look forward to representing Business students in an effort to lower textbook costs, and make other beneficial changes on this campus.
Meg Dysart (KUnited)
Cameron Walker (Envision)
I am so excited to be a part of KUInited this year and have the opportunity to improve the student experience with all of
our innovative platform ideas, I look forward to running as the business school candidate and if elected, promise to positively represent the B-school in any future decisions.
Marketing Wichita
Junior
Accounting
Junior
I am involved in Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Fraternity (Gold Status Member), and am a Jubilee Café Volunteer and youth basketball coach. I am running for student senate with Envision because I would like to become more active in helping KU become an even better place to get an education.
EDUCATION
Walker
Chris Friedl-Buckland
Topeka
I have not been active in campus activities before, so I would like to thank KUnited for giving me the opportunity to be hoc.
Topeku
tive in this great university. I hope to be able to do as much as I can to help out the School of Education. BLUE LOVE!
Friedl-Buckland
Alex Muninger (KUnited)
Junior Salina
Dysart
I am currently a member of the Finance Committee as well as a member of several Senate boards and committees
and am a member of the Board of Class Officers. I want to be a part of Student Senate to meet great people, bring fun additions to campus, and continue the strong tradition that KU holds.
ENGINEERING
Muninger
Gabe Bliss (KUnited)
I feel strongly that KUnited has the ideas and ability to make improvements that will make KU the
Olathe
want it to be. I look forward to running with KUnited as a Engineering candidate and working towards better representation of Engineering groups on campus and making KU an even better campus.
campus we
I have years of firsthand knowledge and experience of the effects of senate policies on students. I wish, in my final year, to return
Michael Humphrey (Envision)
Megan Ketchum (KUnited)
Nancy Xiao Liang (Envision)
the knowledge I have gained in a way that will do the most good.
Bliss
Lee's Summit, Mo.
I am an active member of Engineering Student Council serving as EXPO Co-Chair and I also give tours as a KU Student
Senior
Ambassador. As a representative, I would like to help further the advancement of platforms that would improve the lives and academic careers of the students in the School of Engineering.
Sophomore
Humphrey
Ottawa
Luoyang, China
Junior
Since coming to KU, I have been very involved with international awareness and environmental issues.
Ketchum
I also looking forward to continuing working with engineering organizations to achieve success in making more contributions for KU.
Liang
Chris Martin (Envision)
lawrence I would like to continue to serve my constituents and foster the relationships I have developed
Senior
Abby Rimel (KUnited)
with the groups I represent. I feel that Envision embodies the spirit of the School of Engineering with their emphasis on the progression toward a more sustainable campus and would like to participate in that venture.
Martin
Junior
Aurora, Colo.
I am currently an engineering ambassador and Vice President of Engineering Student
Aurora, Colo.
MUSIC
Council. I am running to support the great leadership of KUnited and to serve as a representative of the wonderful student groups and projects in the School of Engineering.
Rimel
Lindsay Ryan (Envision)
Sophomore
LAW
I am a member of the Music Therapy Association, and KU African Drum Ensemble, in my
Overland Park
free time, I enjoy awesome food, dancing, and belting out songs.
JOURNALISM
EnvisionYourKU.org
Whitlee Douthitt (KUnited)
I'm excited to be running with KUnited as a Journalism and Mass Communications School candidate. I am ready to
Oak Grove, Mo.
Sophomore
see more positive and productive changes to the already wonderful school that will benefit not only the current students, but for many more students to come.
Jay Trump (KUnited)
The one goal I have for Student Senate is to create a new technology system for the Rec to allow students enr.
Douthitt
Junior
Adam Orosco (KUnited)
Trump
without a student ID (in progress). I am excited for the opportunity to represent the School of Journalism in Student Senate.
San Francisco.
San Francisco,
Today, I join the great
KUnited team
at the frontier of imagination
and innovation. On behalf of
KUnited,
Orosco
I pledge to help build a campus where the demands and needs can be realized in the life of the current students. KUnited has the power to shape the school that the students want.
Nathan Behncke (Envision)
I am a member of the KU Student Law Ambassadors, Traffic Court, Asian Law Students Association. I am running for Student Senate and with Envision because I would like to see a greater involvement of the law school with the rest of campus.
Behncke
FRESHMAN/
FRESHMAN/
SOPHOMORE COLLEGE
OF LIBERAL ARTS AND
SCIENCES
Mackenzie Abernathy (KUnited)
Exercise Science Plano, Texas
I am a strong Christian and live my life for the glory of the Lord.I enjoy KUnited because of the drama.
coalition and the feasibility of our platforms, which were created by and for KU students.
Sophomore
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sophomore
Abernathy
Myles Barbula (Envision)
I am a Former Lewis/Templin Hall government member, Association of University Residence Halls
member, and I participate in KU Veterans Day Run. After initially getting involved with Student Senate last year, I realized that it was evident that the aims and goals of the Envision coalition align best with the student body.
Barbula
Hannah Bolton (KUnited)
St. Libory, Neb.
St. Liberty, Neb.
I am running for a seat in Student Senate to help establish a more well-rounded campus. KUnited will provide
Bolton
efforts necessary for these inputs by creating online teacher evaluations to enhancing campus safety.
I feel that KUnited has the ability to make KU a better place for future students. I look forward to
Journalism Flower Mound, Texas
Casey Briner (KUnited)
Sophomore
Jeni Burrows (Envision)
Freshman
running with KUNited as a Freshman/Sophore CLAS candidate and working for positive changes on campus!
Human Biology and Journalism Belle Plaine
Briner
I am an Assistant Coordinator for SUA, an Intramural Chair for Kappa Alpha Theta, an Orientation Assistant, and
Burrows
Political Science
Freshman
a group leader for Boys and Girls Club. As an active student at KU, I want to make sure student dollars are spent the right way — to better the overall KU experience and the place we call home. I feel that Envision is dedicated to these issues and passionate about following through with positive changes.
Lexie Clark (Envision)
Political Science Fort Collins, Colo.
Clark
I am a Student Advisory Board Member at the Dole Institute of Politics, a member of the
Freshman
KU Equestrian Team, a planning committee member for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and a participant in KU Dance Marathon. I'm running for senate because I feel that it is important to be active in the KU community and senate is an opportunity to be part of the discussions that lead to the decisions that impact myself and the school community.
Political Science and Economics Overland Park
Josh Dean (Envision)
I am involved in Oxfam, Amnesty International, Concert Choir, and serve on Student Senate Finance Committee as
an Associate Senator. I affirm that Student Senate is the voice of the student body, which means who speaks for us matters. Envision will provide a clear and effective voice to solve the very real problems we have on campus, and I would like to be a part of it.
Sean Elliot (Envision)
Sophomore Political Science Overland Park
Elliot
I am the President of Amnesty International at KU. I enjoy a good round of Mario Kart 64, even though I never win.
Noopur Goel (Envision)
Human Biology and Journalism Overland Park
I am a freshman representative to the South Asian Student Association, a multicultural Educational
Goel
Fund Board Member, Oliver Hall Government Vice-President, a research volunteer in Dr. Jennifer Gleason's lab, and I am a dancer at Narathan Academy of Dance. As a student at KU I think it is important to have some say in how University funds are used.
Zack Korte (KUnited)
Freshman
Sports Management
I believe that KUnited has the desire and means to change KU, its students, and
Korte