ASMSU College of Letters and Science Senators

The following responses were submitted by students running for election as College of Letters and Science Senators.

Marguerite Kibodeaux, Lorelei Michael-Owens, Kiala Hirsch, Joel Kunzelman

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

Joel Kunzelman: ASMSU should be FOR THE STUDENTS and its funds should be channeled towards student engagement that makes memories! Vote for me if you want more exciting events on campus.

Kiala Hirsch: Students in the College of Letters and Science should vote for me because I am committed to magnifying your voice. I want to make Montana State a better place by collaborating with fellow students!

Lorelei Michael-Owens: I will do my best to make MSU better for everyone, and I will be accountable to students every step of the way. I am capable, qualified, and excited to work with and for students

Marguerite Kibodeaux: Students should vote for me if they want someone in office who will advocate for their safety and wellness on campus, and want to be better connected to resources and programs on campus that will help them succeed on and off campus.

Why are you running to be an ASMSU senator?

Joel Kunzelman: After hearing about the million+ dollar budget that ASMSU operates within, I knew I could make a difference in making sure those funds are put to good use. In particular, I want to make sure that the funds are prioritized in student engagement opportunities like concerts and events like MSU Rail Jam. When I consider how much money the student government gets, I feel like more of the budget should be prioritized for entertainment spending.

Kiala Hirsch: I’m running to be an ASMSU senator because I’m passionate about government and leadership. Therefore, I’d like to amplify the voices of students in the College of Letters and Science. I want to collaborate with students to hear any needs and concerns in our community and do everything I can to provide the support and resources necessary. In addition, I will strive to reach out to students and inform them about the organizations that represent them. This is important because students must be active in student government to make it truly democratic.

Lorelei Michael-Owens: I’m running to be an ASMSU senator because I think that there needs to be more communication opened up between students and their government. I’ve been working as the ASMSU Lobbyist in Helena this session and there have been a couple of moments where what we as the student government decided was best was at odds with other student groups’ views. That was jarring, and I want to avoid that as much as possible going forward. Creating connection between ASMSU and the student body in an accessible and nonthreatening way is my top priority. I’m also running because being the ASMSU Lobbyist has made me want to be connected to ASMSU and the University more now than ever.

Marguerite Kibodeaux: I am running to represent the college of letters and science to advocate for STEM students at MSU by better marketing the resources on campus to the demographics that are underserved. I want every student on campus to feel like a part of the community rather that an individual paying to use a service. I have worked for MSU in many different capacities for the last year and a half, one of which being in resource navigation, which has helped me become an expert in connecting students with the services and resources that will help them succeed on and off campus. I intend to use a senate platform to continue to connect students to resources and ensure that students' needs and demands are heard.

What relevant experience equips you to be a senator?

Joel Kunzelman: I’ve been a leader in many different positions in my life and I think I can bring these qualities to ASMSU to best represent my student body. In addition, I think I’m more connected to the MSU student body than my opponents. As a big skier, camper, and outdoorsmen, my interests align best with the majority of students on campus.

Kiala Hirsch: I have always been passionate about community service and politics. In high school, I was on the Montana State Key Club board. Key Club is a high school service organization that is student led. I served as a Lieutenant Governor for my division and oversaw all the clubs in that division. Also in high school, I attended Montana ALA Girls State. This is an educational program that teaches students about democratic processes and leadership. At MSU, I am the current and past Social Media Manager of MSU Circle K, which is the college version of Key Club. I participate in community service events every week. Also, I am a current at-large member on the ASMSU Legislative Committee. ASMSU has a student liaison that lives in Helena for the legislative session. Every week the committee meets to discuss senate and house bills to support or oppose through testimony.

Lorelei Michael-Owens: Firstly, in a certain capacity, I already represent students. Like I mentioned before, I’m the ASMSU Lobbyist. Since the beginning of January, I have been living in Helena and working in the Montana State Legislature lobbying for student interest. I’ve worked on a variety of bills that will benefit students, from criminalizing date rape drugs to changing landlord-tenant law to make it more favorable to student tenants. Also, and more importantly, I’ve been a student at MSU for the past two years. I know what it’s like to be on the outside of ASMSU and I know what would make it work better for average students.

Marguerite Kibodeaux: I have been involved on campus in many different capacities over the last 3 years. I currently work in the Lawrence lab in the chemistry & biochemistry department, I was a member of the Spirit of the West for 2 years, I volunteered at the Bounty of the Bridgers (our food pantry on campus), and as previously mentioned I have worked with the office of student engagement and the office of off-campus student life for the last year and a half. I have devoted my time to navigating MSU resources and connecting students with the support they need; something I intend to continue as a senator

If elected, what would be your top priorities as senator?

Joel Kunzelman: My top priority as a senator is to bring exciting events to campus like rail jam and concerts.

Kiala Hirsch: A few of my priorities include student outreach, engagement and service. Student outreach is important because I believe that not enough students know about student government at MSU. Personally, I would have become involved much sooner if I had been aware of ASMSU. There are potentially other students that would be involved, but they may not know ASMSU exists. Outreach is also important because the purpose of senators is to be representatives of their respective colleges, but if students don’t know about their leaders, it isn’t truly representative. I believe that engagement will increase as outreach does. Student engagement is vital to campus life because it provides a sense of community to students. I include a focus on service because it is important to give back to the communities one resides in. This involves not only the MSU campus, but also the wider community of Bozeman. Though, most importantly, I wish to hear from students about their concerns on campus and help resolve any issues.

Lorelei Michael-Owens:

1. Accessible, clear and timely communication between students and their elected student government.

2. Increased safety on campus, especially when it comes to sexual violence and assault.

3. Partnerships with community organizations to increase connection between campus and Bozeman community.

Marguerite Kibodeaux: Student retention, safety, satisfaction/wellness on campus to put it simply. I want to help promote a culture and community on campus that all students want to and feel safe to return to each year.

What ideas do you have to address those priorities?

Joel Kunzelman: To better student entertainment, I plan on increasing the amount of funding that the events team gets to handle. This will allow us to hold two or three concerts this upcoming year, hopefully with some big name artists in the hip-hop, folk, and alternative genres. In addition, I want to prioritize more funds for the marketing team as well to make sure that students know about the awesome events we will be putting on!

Kiala Hirsch: To reach these goals, I plan to contact clubs and organizations on campus to spread the word about ASMSU. Also, I will table in the mall in order to have one on one conversations with students. I plan to be very active on my Instagram (kiala.for.asmsu) to provide information about ASMSU events and updates on my initiatives. In addition, I will be sure to advertise my contact information which will make it easy for students in the College of Letters and Science to reach out to me. My email is khirsch5353@gmail.com. Contact me for any reasons you may have, we can meet in person too!

Lorelei Michael-Owens: I want to set up systems through which communications can happen faster and students can have more immediate answers to developments on campus. I also want to hold “office hours” where students are, like in the commons for different majors rather than only being in the ASMSU office. I want to assist in the development of safe ride home programs, and work on bringing harm reduction tools to campus. Things like test strips, drink covers, and narcan can be important tools for keeping students safe, and I want to work on making these things accessible on campus. I want to partner with local organizations to set up educational opportunities like trainings, volunteer opportunities and services that they can make available to students.

Marguerite Kibodeaux: I would like to reinvent the way we market resources on campus and plan student programming, which is a huge reason why I have endorsed Tara and Jack as both of them have worked in marketing and event planning during their time as students. My goals are to target incoming freshman with resource marketing by focusing on graphic design and social media. I will also hold office hours in common spaces on campus for students to reach out to me.