New AS ticket promises more involvement

By Megan O'Connor

Student input, school spirit and off-campus safety will be key issues in the tenure of newly elected Associated Students' President Jenny Moody and Vice President Julia Niles, they said last week.

Moody and Niles won the election with 58 percent of the vote.

After winning the AS presidency when a record 30 percent came out to the polls, Moody and Niles hope to bring students into the AS decision-making process through outreach programs.

The two women plan to increase lights on the sidewalk behind Benson Memorial Center, distribute safety whistles to prevent assaults, continue offering self-defense classes and work with Santa Clara police to decrease jaywalking by lowering wait time at stop lights surrounding campus.

According to Lt. Jim Buchanan, while traffic enforcement and education are within police jurisdiction, timing of traffic crossings fall into the City Department of Engineering.

With the absence of a football team providing a rallying point for students, the pair said they feel that students would benefit from the creation of traditions and funding for school spirit activities. Moody and Niles plan to increase AS support of the Ruff Riders and possibly work to have a homecoming event.

Student involvement will be key for the Moody and Niles administration. Moody plans to actively bring student opinions and input into AS decisions.

In order to reach out to the student body, the pair said they will set up and staff a table in Benson to encourage students to voice their concerns about the university and to use the AS bulletin board in downstairs Benson as a place for students to post suggestions.

According to Niles, they have also set up a Facebook group where they asked students what band should play Welcome Weekend, receiving over 60 responses.

Niles said she will consider each suggestion and then post what AS is going to do in response to the comments "so students can see progress on the issue, and hopefully in the end, something results from their concern."

From the beginning of their campaign, Moody and Niles have emphasized their network on campus.

"They have good access to people because they, over time, both Julie and Jenny, in their involvement, have established relationships," said Jeanne Rosenberger, vice provost for student life.

Moody is the outgoing Senate Chair and was a freshman and sophomore senator. Niles was a sophomore senator. Both were orientation leaders.

Moody and Niles will also incorporate some of the work of outgoing AS President James LaCamp and Vice President Jasper Seldin, such as continuing to hold self-defense classes on campus and possibly increasing their frequency.

In addition to improving student safety, LaCamp and Seldin worked to expand wireless internet access on campus.

Seldin said one of their greatest accomplishments was the self-defense classes. "If we can change one person's life through (the classes), I think it was worth it," he said.

This year's administration faced the death of one of its senators and the change of their advisor halfway through the year.

"Whether students saw what we did or not, I think that, in the long run, they are really going to feel the benefit of what we provided for them this year," said Seldin.

Contact Megan O'Connor at (408) 554-4546 or moconnor@scu.edu.