ASMSU At-Large Senators

The following responses have been submitted by students running for election as At-Large ASMSU Senators, who are elected by all students on campus.

Strandvold Knudsen, Miller Rijfkogel, Lucy Hanacek and Josie Kaufman

In a tweet, why should MSU students vote for you?

Josie Kaufman: You are HEARD. You are SEEN. You are WELCOMED. #govotejo #josieforasmsu #accessiblesuccess

Lucy Hanacek: Vote for me to have a say in MSU's present and future! I am committed to facilitating positive change, improving campus safety, destigmatizing resources and enhancing student engagement. Your voice matters, and I will work tirelessly to represent your needs and make your college experience at MSU the best it can be.

Miller Rijfkogel: Vote for Miller because I believe wellbeing and accessibility is vital for student success and I have and will fight for that!

Stran Knudsen: The name Knudsen is a serious promise to the Bobcat community. Serving as a Senator, I can show that my work is to benefit students, and it always has been. I don’t intend on slowing down, and I promise to have your back and always be on your team.

Why are you running to be an ASMSU Senator?

Josie Kaufman: MSU has opened endless doors to so many opportunities for me, and I want everyone on this campus to feel the same way. I want everyone to feel they have direct access to their peers, professors, club funds, and ultimately, their success. Whether it is through physical and/or mental health resources, community outreach, or whatever may interest you – I am here to serve you in whichever way you need.

Lucy Hanacek: I’m running to be an ASMSU senator because I am committed to facilitating positive change at MSU and ensuring that every student has a rewarding college experience. I have been frustrated with the slow pace of change on campus and believe that timely action is crucial. I am passionate about fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students and making sure their voices are heard.

Miller Rijfkogel: After working with organizations on campus, I both witnessed and experienced issues with our university. I want to make our university better at assisting, providing for, and serving students and make these resources and systems stronger to ensure students are getting the support they need to thrive, both in academics and in life.

Stran Knudsen: I’m seeking reelection for two reasons. First, I have always been committed to the mental health and wellbeing of the student body. Through my passed legislation on the floor, within my role with University Student Housing, and through my work in committees, I have collaborated with CPS to continue improving outreach to students and providing student feedback on their tried strategies. My dream is that ALL students who experience a mental health crisis could have their needs met and have adequate support from our campus resources. That dream is not fulfilled. However, I will always prioritize improving those resources and outreach. Second, I have a year of experience within ASMSU between my committee roles and meetings. I always put my individual beliefs aside and represent the student’s interests first. When I go up to Helena, my first question for legislators has always been “What are you doing to benefit MSU students?” It was never my own interests. The students at MSU deserve to have representation that is not affected by an individual’s partisan beliefs. I firmly believe that. These are the largest reasons why I initially chose to run for ASMSU, and why I will continue working for Bobcats.

What relevant experience equips you to be a senator?

Josie Kaufman: As a leader with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries over the course of the last year, I experienced more growth in being conscientious with my time, intentional when I talk to others, and dedicated to listening. Chi Alpha has this saying that goes, “No one sits or stands alone,” which encourages a welcoming community to encourage student success – this is what I want to bring to ASMSU. Additionally, I have been tutoring at the American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Center, which introduced me to an entirely new way to serve as part of the student body on the MSU campus and promote engagement. My experience as a core leader and a tutor both during small group and one-on-one time with the students has pushed me to step out when I feel tired, ask for help when I need strength, and ask others questions that will lead them to solve the problem on their own.

Lucy Hanacek: As an RA and TA at MSU, I have developed essential skills in leadership, advocation, conflict resolution, and staying composed in high-pressure situations. These skills are transferable to the ASMSU environment and will enable me to effectively represent the needs of students. Additionally, my experience as a TA has honed my ability to listen to student needs, provide support, and accept constructive feedback, which I believe will be invaluable as an ASMSU senator.

Miller Rijfkogel: I have been at the Voice Center for 5 years now, two of them as a Student Staff Member. I am the President of Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA) and the Founder of the Disabled Students Association. All of these positions have taught me the importance of listening and understanding all perspectives in order to fight for what is best for students.

Stran Knudsen: I am an acting senator on the body. I know the flow of meetings, the importance of committee work, and the necessity of conversation geared to improve the legislation we produce on behalf of the student body. I have met outstanding individuals at MSU that share a passion for helping students and promoting a welcoming campus. I have collaborated week in and week out with these individuals to create solutions to immediate student issues. I always make myself available for students and advocate for them so meaningful changes can begin. Throughout the year, I also provided feedback to the CLS Dean’s Office to improve our individual college and the campus. Secondly, I also have prior experience serving in other legislative bodies. I served as a senator to the Residence Hall Association Senate. Within that role, I worked with differing hall interests to create reasonable action items that benefitted the immediate needs of students living on-campus. I also was the sponsor of multiple renovation and new item projects for the hall community I was a part of. This role provided experience in parliamentary procedure, voting on substantial budget items, and improving the hall community for which I lived in.

If elected, what would be your top priorities and why?

Josie Kaufman: As an At-Large Senator, I have three priorities: accessibility, integrity and mental sustainability. I want to make current resources more accessible to students, streamline the process to request club funding, and open the ASMSU office to connect students to peer mentoring and advising. I also intend to support communities and community events on campus to promote engagement, so students can see where and how their activity fees are being spent. If students do not feel comfortable using a service or attending an event, it is part of the job as a member of ASMSU to protect the integrity of the students. Lastly, students should feel successful and prepared to enter the next step of their lives when they graduate from Montana State, which means learning sustainable mental health practices, so they feel ready for every stressor that life throws at them.

Lucy Hanacek: My top priorities as a senator would be campus safety, destigmatizing campus resources and enhancing student engagement. Ensuring the safety of MSU students is a fundamental priority for me. Like many others, I have experienced feeling unsafe while walking back from the library at night. As students, you deserve to feel safe in your place of learning. Feeling unsafe can have a negative impact on various aspects of your life. That's why I am committed to addressing campus safety as a top priority if elected as an ASMSU senator. I will also strive to raise awareness about existing resources and reduce the stigma associated with seeking help. Finally, I will focus on creating more opportunities for student engagement through events and fairs to help students find their passion and get involved in activities that enhance their college experience.

Miller Rijfkogel: My top priorities fall within the topics of the clubs and organizations I have worked with. First, I want to promote and grow the resources we currently have for crisis support, ensuring that when students get thrown a curveball from life, they have the absolute best support they can get to ensure they are able to continue school.

Second, I want to promote accessibility all throughout campus. This will look like keeping an updated and current record of what areas are not accessible to students and fixing them, promoting a system where students who don’t understand accommodations can have guidance through everything and no student has to fight for what the need, and finally a recognition of disabled students on campus and a deep conversation about what support we need.

Stran Knudsen: First, the safety and wellbeing of MSU students is my top priority. I have a multitude of experience supporting the physical and mental health of my peers and students, and I know that there is a ton of work left. ASMSU must continue advocating for the safety of students, starting with improving wellbeing and belonging. The culture of campus should not be a barrier for students to engage, recreate, and receive an education, and changing that starts by improving safety. Secondly, providing menstrual products in Residence Halls is an idea that needs to come to fruition. Individuals of lower socio-economic statuses may have a more difficult time getting access to these resources, and I want to break down that barrier. Thirdly, I want to give students access to Narcan on our campus. The university cannot fully prevent individuals from participating in the consumption of recreational drugs, and some of those activities can become potentially lethal. Given that, the university should not be a barrier for students to access resources that could save their peers in these specific crisis situations. Lastly, I want to re-shape online trainings for incoming freshmen to better incorporate mental health and awareness of resources at MSU.

What ideas do you have to address those priorities?

Josie Kaufman: Accessibility comes from awareness, so marketing existing resources and opportunities as well as informing all students working in and around the office about these resources will be important to make them easier to access. Making mental health and student success services overall more accessible will set students up to be prepared for the marketplace with mentally sustainable habits already in place. I want every student to feel that they have a clear and easy way to access the help they need, regardless of background, major, or college. Every student should have accessible success.

Lucy Hanacek: To address campus safety concerns, I'll work with ASMSU, University Police, and MSU administration to implement better safety measures such as improved lighting, Blue Light systems, and revamping the Safe Cats app or explore alternatives that better meet the needs of students. To destigmatize campus resources, I will work with faculty and organize events that showcase the importance of resources like SmartyCats and CPS. Additionally, I will utilize major campus events like Catapalooza and Rail Jam to promote lesser-known resources. For student engagement, I will organize more events and fairs throughout the semester to provide students with opportunities to explore clubs and activities at their own pace and based on their schedules.

Miller Rijfkogel: I want to grow offices like the Voice Center and CPS to ensure they are able to provide the support students need to them in a sustainable way. I’d like to talk to offices and students who have used these resources to see where the gaps are and what we can do to fill them. I want to promote a culture of accessibility on campus, including fixing what is inaccessible and bringing in new spaces and ideas. I want this campus to have a conversation about safety, including the safety plan for disabled students, and I want to ensure that disabled students and faculty are able to get the accommodations they need.

Stran Knudsen: Providing a space of belonging and wellbeing for MSU students starts at MSU Debut and through those online trainings. I want to gear the theme of Debut around student’s shared experiences, providing a space for people to share stories. My hope is that Bobcats will see how connected they are to their peers and feel like they belong at MSU. I have a plan to provide menstrual products in Residence Halls and make Narcan available on campus. I want ASMSU to provide money towards that project, as a majority of students are required to live in the Residence Halls their first year at MSU. The program for this should be for all women’s and gender-neutral restrooms in our Residence Halls. The plan for Narcan will be similar, but much more difficult. Feel free to talk to me more about this plan! To reshape online training for freshman, it needs to start with our campus partners to help create a training structure. Bringing the VOICE Center and University Health Partners, specifically CPS, into a conversation is the beginning. An action plan and training course will need to be created or adopted from another university and re-geared towards MSU.