Vision set to face new party on May 17

by Ben Roode and Erica Ryan
Staff Writers

With Ohio University Student Senate elections on May 17, the Vision party, which won 29 of 33 possible seats in last spring's election, is refining its platform and preparing to face candidates from Strive, a new party.

Strive

Although none of Strive's executive candidates now are on senate, the party's candidates said their previous experiences in and around Athens qualify them for the jobs.

"We've done a lot of stuff on campus," said Robert Brewster, Strive's presidential candidate. "I think we've grown into senate."

Strive's three executive candidates have been involved in service organizations and community projects with their fraternity, Delta Tau Delta.

Brewster, a junior management information systems and marketing major from Fairlawn, Ohio, said he was president of his pledge class at Delta Tau Delta and captain of various sports teams in high school.

Neal Laabs, the vice-presidential candidate, is a junior marketing and international business major from Rochester Hills, Mich.

Laabs said he wants to try to get more students involved with senate.

"(About) 95 percent of students don't know about Student Senate," he said.

Brian Ambrosia, treasurer candidate, is a junior management information systems and finance major from Youngstown. He said the three candidates decided to run for senate after returning from spring break.

"We don't want to spoil the party (for Vision), the main thing is to help the university," Laabs said. "It's not an ego thing."

Vision

The Vision ticket is headed by incumbent senate President Jim Hintz, the first OU student to run for a second presidential term since 1994.

The relationships already established between Vision party members and administrators will help goals to be accomplished more quickly, Hintz said.

Hintz, a senior from Norwalk, Ohio, is a political science major who has worked with senate since his freshman year. He said he will continue helping to formulate plans for a possible new student center if elected.

Mattie White, a junior journalism major from Cambridge, Ohio, is senate's minority affairs commissioner and vice president of Black Student Communication Caucus.

"One issue important to me is creating new academic programs where there is an interest," she said.

Holly Seckinger, a junior marketing major from Dublin, Ohio, is vice president for membership of the student organization American Marketing Association. She has held various offices in Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, including treasurer.

Improving off-campus housing is one of her goals if elected, she said. Senate must work with landlords to make living off campus easier on students.

Vision candidates hope to learn student concerns throughout campaign season.

"We want them to tell us their ideas and get them interested," White said.