Update/note: This post was written before Ry Ellison’s answers came in, so the statistics and commentary below are a little off. –GPO

Administrative Vice President candidate Alaina Glatting is currently the sole respondent to the ASUA candidate questionnaire. Though I disagree with many of the answers she provided, I am grateful for her willingness to answer the tough questions without shame.

I reckon the low responses is because only six out of 23 candidates are at risk in the primary election, but a 16.7% response rate among those at risk is still very disappointing.  Maintaining this rate requires only three more candidates out of the remaining 23 to respond, which is hardly a way to make an educated voting decision.

Alaina is running against two other candidates in Tuesday and Wednesday’s primary election in which the third-place candidate will be eliminated from the general election ballot.  In the interest of promoting general election candidates who are open about what they believe, the Arizona Growler awards a primary election endorsement to Alaina Glatting for ASUA Administrative Vice President.

Alaina’s responses follow: 

1. Describe your political views (liberal, conservative, etc.) and how they affect your campaign platform.

   Although I do have my own set of views on politics which do make me lean one way or the other in certain situations, I do not feel that these views affect my campaign platform. The University of Arizona is highly diverse and the programs and services focuses on serving the students regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnicity, and any other beliefs. I would work to help make every student feel comfortable and my political views have no impact on equality.

2. In future elections, what should the monetary limit of campaign spending be (if any)?

   Any qualified person at the U of A should be able to run for a position. If someone chooses not to run, it should not be because of their financial status. There should be a certain limit for every candidate and the current budget I feel is fair. It allows candidates to have enough spending to promote themselves without holding back other candidates who are not as well off.

3. Is the position of ASUA Senator in your view more legislative or administrative? Is this a false dichotomy?

   I believe that the position of ASUA senator is a mixture of the two. A senator should be able to formulate a platform based on the needs of the student body and if elected should succeed on making it a reality. All the while, a senator should be attending the scheduled Senate and other meetings to represent their cause at the administrative level.

4. The Women’s Resource Center recently sent out an email railing against the recent Justice For All exhibit that was out on the mall. Is this appropriate conduct for a part of student government?

   I do feel that a student government organization saying outright that another organizations display is “lie-filled” might not be in their best interest. I also would have to say that the directors who wrote the article together probably decided what they thought was best for their organization. It would be my duty as the Administrative Vice President to work with all of the directors and make sure that everything sent out is respectful of everyone’s views.

5. Regardless of your position on abortion, does the Justice For All exhibit present a need for certain mall events to be curtailed?

   I feel that everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe. I also believe that there should be a certain restriction on what mall events can and cannot be presented. The mall is a very public place and presentations should show both sides of an issue as to not pinpoint that a certain one is correct. I also feel that such a large public display might have been better off somewhere that is not quite as populated so that people have the choice to look at it or not.

6. Should the Women’s Resource Center and the Pride Alliance be relegated to club status in order to facilitate fairness towards all points of view?

   Programs and Services is an area of ASUA that is able to reach out to as many students and possible regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnicity or any other beliefs, as I mentioned in the first question. Pride Alliance does reach out to the LGBTQ community but does not turn away anyone who comes by. The same goes towards the Women’s Resource center. With a growing and diverse university such as this one, relegating these two programs to club status would take away student government representation to a large population of students that utilize both of these wonderful organizations.

7. How transparent is ASUA? Should things such as proposed bills and Senate minutes be required to be posted onto the ASUA website for public review?

   As an organization that is here to represent all of the students on campus, I feel that the students should be able to know what is going on. If posting Senate minutes and proposed bills is in the best interests of the students, than I see no reason why it could not be implemented.

8. In comparison with the old elections code, do you think that the new elections code will result in less mudslinging than in previous elections? Is it strong enough against potential "dirty" campaigners?

   The Elections Commissioner this year has worked very diligently to create a fair, practical and strong elections code. The hard work and dedication that has been put in to create it, has not gone to waste. I do think that if someone wants to be a “dirty” campaigner, they will find a way regardless of how well written any code may be. I have not been able to find anything wrong with the code in its entirety this year and as of now it seems to be working just fine.

9. David Horowitz recently laid heavy criticism upon the University of Arizona, going to far as to criticize individual classes and instructors, leading to heavy debate over issues of academic freedom. Truly, what is the best implementation to facilitate a "free marketplace of ideas"? Are Horowitz’s criticisms fair? Does Horowitz’s "Academic Bill of Rights" fit the bill?

   I believe that everyone has the right to their own opinion. Horowitz spoke up about what he believes in. I personally do believe that the professors should not lead students to believe one side or another of certain controversial issues. I also feel it might have been going a little over the line to specifically pinpoint certain professors and individuals on the subject but the overall idea is a good one, in my opinion.

10. What if anything should university administration and/or ASUA do in the wake of recent offensive speech and activities on and off campus?

    Depending on the subject of any speech and activity on or off campus, if it effects the students at the university, it could be in the best interest of the ASUA to comment. With these comments, ASUA and the administration should both be unbiased and explain the situation to the extent that the students understand and can get more information if they choose to do so. I would hope that it is not a member of the student government or the administration that initiated the offensive activities.

11. Is military aircraft noise presenting a significant barrier to university activities?

    Although I do not feel that it is a significant barrier to university activities, if changing the flight plan is not going to interfere too much with the current instruction and practices of the military base then it would be nice to have it changed. It hasn’t been too many years that the aircrafts have actually been able to fly over the university (due to past events) and I am unaware that anyone has actually researched into it since.

12. Given the regular inability to fulfill campaign promises, explain how those on your platform are feasible.

    When I researched my platforms, I made sure that they are very feasible to accomplish in one academic years time. Cats Ridde has been researched for the past few years and there are many universities around the nation with similar programs. With more research and funding, making Cats Ridde a success is just around the corner. With such a diverse university, representing as many international students as possible is something that needs to happen. The international student association (ISA) has been a program within Programs and Services for many years and just needs to be shown a little more attention. Wildcat World Fair (WWF) has expanded in the past few years, so allowing ISA and WWF to work together will help promote both organizations and international students together. Lastly, every program has the potential to do something amazing and with the proper guidance, every director can improve their programs to make next year one of the most successful in representing students. All of these promises can absolutely be accomplished in one year.

The responses themselves are public domain.  The questions, like all posts, are licensed for public use.