Vote Kirkwood

Justin Kingsolver
is the candidate for president on the Kirkwood for IUSA ticket.

In this campaign, the issue of candidate experience has surfaced continuously, mainly because of the “experience” claimed by our opponents. However, regardless of personal attacks, the Kirkwood ticket offers an incredible amount of outside leadership experience to lead the student body.

This year, I have been Speaker of the IUSA Student Body Congress, a position that has allowed me to make relationships with administrators and other student leaders. These relationships will be crucial to enacting our policy proposals embodied in the “Kirkwood Promise.”

Our candidate for vice president for administration, Matt Ahlberg, has led his fraternity’s philanthropy efforts and has represented our student body to other universities as an IU athlete — a club volleyball player.

Our candidate for vice president for Congress, Laurence Cormier, is the president of the Kappa Delta sorority and a campus ambassador — two positions exposing her to the student and administrative culture of IU.

Bailey Gerber is our candidate for student body treasurer. As a fifth-generation Hoosier, Bailey has grown up understanding the traditions of IU and forming relationships with senior administrators such as IU President Michael McRobbie. A freshman, Bailey has chosen to take an active leadership role to represent the entire class of 2013 over the next 12 months.

These experiences will shape our term in office, preparing us to tackle the challenges IUSA executives must, such as the Committee for Fee Review, the continued execution of the student VOICE Report and the implementation of our five policy platforms in the “Kirkwood Promise” — meal points in the Union, a fall break, the addition of four campus crosswalks, the inclusion of course syllabi on the course description Web page and a TV system in the lobby of the Herman B Wells Library that will display the number and location of available computers.

On the issue of experience, it is incredibly important for students to ask themselves one question: iUnity claims a wealth of experience within the Btown administration, but to what does that experience amount?

Btown ran on five great initiatives, but, unfortunately, all five are still incomplete.

However, the most important message I can communicate to you today is the importance of participating in this election.

Please visit the Web sites of both campaigns (ours is www.KirkwoodForIU.com) and educate yourself about both tickets. I truly believe you will be able to ascertain the Kirkwood ticket’s capability to lead.

Our platform is more feasible than that of our opponents, our candidates are strong, and our campaign is principled. Vote Kirkwood for IUSA. This is your IU; let’s lead it together.