The Race for Secretary

That battle for SG Secretary is much more interesting this year than it was last year. Four candidates will have their name on the ballot (that is four more than last time): Jake Paul, Sam Hagedorn, Ashley Kongs, and Kent Hiebel.

Kent is probably the favorite here. He has an impressive list of endorsements that includes 11 current Senators (including the lion himself, Steve Dalton), the Speaker of the Senate Amanda Merkwae, and Zach Solomon. He is leading the way in Facebook group membership, and has an impressive website. Kent served as the Communications Director for the SG this year, and just about everyone that worked anywhere near him (including myself) was impressed by him.

Ashley Kongs brings SG experience to the race as well. She used to be the one that sent out the Facebook messages about SG events. The website that she has put together is not too bad either. She is at a bit of a disadvantage here, because she is currently studying abroad in London. I admire her effort, but it is nearly impossible to win an SG election when you are out of the country.

Jake Paul is possibly the most qualified for the job. He has been the one responsible for the AUSG's website for the past year. While some would question how good that website is (he is launching the beta version of a new one soon), somebody that is already extremely familiar with it might be the best person to try and improve it. Jake's campaign website suggests that he may be capable of putting something better together. He is also responsible for http://join.ausg.org, which I think is a wonderful tool for students that want to get involved.

Finally, Sam Hagedorn is the outsider. His campaign is based primarily on criticism of the current AUSG website. He does a nice job of describing his vision for what the website should look like on his Facebook group. Unfortunately, it does not appear as though he has put together a website of his own for his campaign. While his goals are admirable, he is probably a longshot to win because it is so difficult to come from outside the SG into a major office (I would know).

So that is that. Who will win? Probably Kent, and I have no doubt that he'll do a fine job. Although there is still obviously a lot that can change. Who am I voting for? Still undecided. I will accept bribes.