Meet the Movement for IUSA ticket executive branch candidates

Kyle Straub
Candidate for president

When junior Kyle Straub came to IU, he did not plan to join student government.  

“I never felt that integrated to campus as a whole,” Straub said. “I wanted to take it one step more.”

As a sophomore Straub was a member of the Singing Hoosiers and Delta Sigma Pi fraternity, but it was a phone call from current IU Student Association President Justin Kingsolver that changed everything.

Straub said at the time he did not know Kingsolver but was asked to join the Big Ten ticket, now the Big Six administration, after others had recommended him for the job.  

“I said yes on a whim, thinking it was meant to be,” Straub said.  

Now, as presidential candidate for Movement for IUSA, Straub said he looks forward to using the experience he’s gained this year as IUSA treasurer to improve student government and the campus as a whole.

“There’s such a learning curve in terms of understanding the bureaucracy of IU and having that knowledge will alleviate a lot of stress for next year,” Straub said.  

He said his current duties as treasurer require anywhere from 10 to 50 hours per week, along with an additional eight hours of planning with the Movement for IUSA ticket and another three to four hours to independently plan for IUSA.  

“It’s amazing how much I’ve learned this year,” he said. “And we’re still learning. Even now we have questions.”

Straub is also currently involved with Out at Kelley, an organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender students in the Kelley School of Business and is a campus ambassador for Out for Undergraduate Business Conference and a Kelley student ambassador.

Straub said he is most excited for the safe ride program that’s part of Movement for IUSA’s platform.

“Every single person I’ve explained the initiative to is fully on board to see it come to life,” Straub said.

Patrick Courtney
Candidate for vice president of administration

As Deputy Chief of Staff for the current Big Six administration, junior Patrick Courtney said he considers himself the hinge of communication between the executives and chiefs of directors within IUSA.

He said his previous involvement with IUSA will help him know what to anticipate as vice president of administration.

“We joke around about never being surprised by changes in the University,” Courtney said.   

Courtney first became involved with IUSA his freshman year by running as a University Division Congressional member affiliated with the Kirkwood ticket.

Though Kirkwood lost, he served as a member of Congress for about a month until he was accepted into Kelley and had to relinquish his position as a University Division representative.

He became involved with IUSA again a few months later as an Election Day coordinator for the Big Ten ticket.   

Courtney is also a member of the Riley Development Committee for IU Dance Marathon, a campus tour guide and a player on the IU soccer club.

Last summer, finance major Courtney said he stayed in Bloomington developing Hoosier P.A.C.T. and the recently installed digital signage in Herman B Wells Library, which will be similar to the Hoosier Information Kiosks that Movement for IUSA plans to place on campus.

“We’re the names you see on ballot, but this ticket is much more,” he said. “We have probably 60 plus people that have expressed interest. And it’s much more than the four names who put work into this administration.”

Stephanie Kohls
Candidate for vice president of Congress

As junior Stephanie Kohls runs for vice president of Congress a second time, her experience will be a major factor in improving IUSA inside and outside, she said.

“Now, I already know the basics of how Congress works,” Kohls said.    

A nonprofit management major, Kohls’ first brush with IUSA was when she joined the Big Ten ticket during the 2011 election.

She said she got her first taste of student government as a freshman at Fishers High School in Fishers, Ind., where she ultimately served as class president her senior year.

Kohls was also a member of IU Student Foundation throughout her freshman and sophomore years and was social chair for Alpha Omicron Pi sorority her sophomore year.  

Besides Movement for IUSA’s four platform initiatives, Kohls said she has plans to improve several aspects of IUSA Congress.

“It took me a while to step into my role, especially with the by-law changes this year,” Kohls said. “But now I’m confident in what works and what doesn’t.”

Kohls said she plans to improve the committee structure within IUSA. Each member is required to participate in one committee, and she said she would like to make all committees more accountable for developing and passing resolutions on a weekly basis.

She said she would also like to increase transparency for the student body by more frequently posting congressional minutes on the IUSA website’s Congress blog.

Kohls also said she wants to have an IUSA member who follows up with all passed resolutions to make sure they are being properly addressed on campus.     

“IUSA is important to me because it’s the heartbeat of all student organizations,” Kohls said. “It’s for students, built of students.”

Casey Baker
Candidate for treasurer

Though sophomore Casey Baker did not join the Movement for IUSA ticket until February, she said she’s excited to work on the different initiatives to help students across campus.

“It’s great to be the fresh face of the ticket and bring in new ideas,” Baker said.    
Baker has no prior experience with IUSA.

She said the members of the ticket approached her after another member of her sorority had recommended her to Courtney.

“At first I was a little nervous if it was something I could take on,” Baker said.

Finance and accounting major Baker said she also serves as Alpha Chi Omega’s vice president of finance.

Baker is a member of Lead[IN], a Kelley club that helps create business plans for local companies.

At her high school in Cincinnati, she was a student government representative and served as a vice president in charge of school social events and philanthropies.

Despite the learning curve Baker has had to overcome to catch up to other executive ticket members, she said they have been helpful in bringing her up to speed.

“They’ve taught me everything,” she said. “And I probably have a lot more to learn.”