The election of student body president and vice president should be a concern to all students. Before you vote, please educate yourself on each of the three people vying for the position, myself being one of them.

My time on Student Senate has been short but very productive. You may have noticed an increased amount of duplex printers on campus. Last spring I passed legislation to make the change. Another important change I led on was last semester’s Environmental Responsibility Account Referendum. Because of this referendum, UW-Eau Claire stands at the forefront of the UW System for funding environmental projects on campus.

Additionally, my running mate Amber Bretl is a statewide student leader who has led initiatives to increase financial aid, protect you from tuition hikes and guard your rights as a student. With your vote we will continue to help guide Eau Claire forward, in a direction that benefits us all. Our campus is facing hard times with the proposed budget cuts, every student will be affected by an increase in tuition. Amber has worked countless hours with other System schools and lobbied at the capitol to change the budget; those relationships can’t be replaced by any other candidate.

Every issue we are and will work for will make the student experience at Eau Claire a better one. We have never promised anything unachievable, wishful or drastic. Yes, campaigning for dramatic change or student revolution can be captivating, but that isn’t an accurate representation of the student body. There are many reasons you should vote the “Michael Umhoefer-Amber Bretl” ticket. Below are some of the issues we will complete if elected. Each issue included differentiates us from the competition, if elected your representatives.

Student input
We will utilize the homepage to poll the university on issues concerning to us. One question per week will provide a litmus test for students’ opinions and allow us to prioritize our work. Monthly online surveys, never more than three minutes long, will give us statistical data to guide our efforts as your representatives. Your opinion is highly valued; we aren’t going to dictate or delegate issues.

Student driven course reviews
Class sizes are going to increase if the current state budget passes. As a result, registration will become more challenging than it already is. We have a plan for an online interface.

Organized by class this system will allow students to efficiently register for courses by getting more information from the students who have just experienced the course.

With your vote we will help make your time at Eau Claire the most productive.

Increased access to Haas
Every fine arts major demands more time and access in Haas. We will work to make this change possible by polling the faculty and staff who oppose the idea. Understanding their concerns and addressing each of them is the best way to get results. Compromising between students’ needs and faculty desires will allow for the changes to occur.

Protecting student rights
The UW System wants to increase the university’s ability to punish students for any tickets a student receives off campus. We have worked with other System schools to create a unified voice to change this policy and passed legislation to protect students’ rights. This issue wasn’t supported by administrators or student leaders; we have and will continue to fight through adversity to protect Eau Claire students and their rights.

Student focused new Davies Center
The new Davies Center building is an exciting project on campus right now. As the only candidate on the Davies Re-development Building Committee, I have fought to keep the building student-focused. Administration wanted to dramatically increase their office size which I fought and reduced. We will continue to keep the focus of the project on the students, protecting it from becoming administrative pet project.

The students of Eau Claire need strong representation to achieve goals that each student can benefit from. We value your opinion and will seek it throughout each endeavor. Our focus has and will continue to make the student experience a better one. With your vote you support the candidates that will consult the student body, achieve visible results, preserve campus life and move Eau Claire forward.

Umhoefer is a senior public relations major and guest columnist for The Spectator.