Gwen Anderson / Andrew Hazell
Senators hope to strengthen ASG with higher efficiency, capacity

Gwen Anderson
Presidential candidate
Major: Mechanical engineering
Occupation: Server at Red Mango
Leadership experience: Director of state and federal affairs, student senator.
Favorite instructor: Sue Dawson, English instructor at Sam Barlow High School		 Andrew Hazell
Vice presidential candidate
Major: General studies
Occupation: Student
Leadership experience: Student senator, senate president pro-tem, forensics team member.
Compares leadership to: Barack Obama

A streamlined, high-impact student government is the vision expressed by presidential candidate Gwen Anderson and vice presidential candidate Andrew Hazell.

Anderson, currently ASG director of state and federal affairs, said a primary goal for next year is to re-organize the three bodies of student government (Executive Cabinet, Student Senate and Student Activities Board) to increase efficiency in anticipation for greater program use.

“I think that the student government here at MHCC can definitely help with student retention and making this college a place to come for events, not just a commuter college,” said Anderson. She said some ways to improve campus events would be to expand the Book Consignment program and provide more marketing resources for campus activities provided by SAB and clubs.

Hazell, a student senator and senate president pro-tem, shares the goals of efficiency and has emphasized them in his current legislative priorities.

“Much of what I’ve done so far has been to improve the by-laws of ASG to better its structure,” said Hazell, adding that improving efficiency is half the battle, that publicity will play a major role in making events worth improving, saying, “none of these plans will work without getting the name of ASG out to students.”

But before events can be planned, funding needs to be secured, according to both, Anderson citing an estimated 25 percent financial contribution from the state as a strong reason to lobby.

“In the first place, we lobby in Salem for less textbook bundling, less hidden fees, and lower tuition rates through increased state funding,” he said.

But fees are the reason Hazell said students should get themselves involved in the democratic process and vote in the ASG election.
“They pay the fees, so they should have a right to deicide where the money goes,” he said.