Quick Hits
Favorite Plank: "We think that with senators now representing their college, they are much more likely to be contacted by their constituents. We want to encourage this by having senators establish hours of availability within their college."
This is a fantastic idea that should be implemented next year regardless who wins. Senate runs NISG and having Senators have an official, regular presence on campus is a great idea.
Least Favorite Plank: "Multi-Moldular Transportation Center #2: many students have expressed interest in the possible construction of another parking complex."
For the platform’s biggest idea, it’s surprisingly the shortest plank on the platform. If this is meant to be taken seriously, then this needs to be significantly re-vamped. I'll address the possibility, and lack thereof, of a new parking ramp if I see an actual proposal, not just an empty idea.
Unique Plank: “Ideally we would like to see R lots become C lots and parts of C lots become B lots”
Kyle and Brendan's platform can be found at their website: http://www.kyle-brendan.com/
Serving the Students
I really like what I’m seeing in this section. I’m not a fan of the “re-branding” of NISG that many people have proposed to get more connected with students. The best way to see and hear students is to be more available for students. This is the focus of this section and I think it’s fantastic.
Communication
Most of this section is just expansion on the “Serving the Students” section except for one idea. Their proposed “Student Organization of the Week” sounds like an interesting idea. However, if they're only offering free advertising through the SIAC, NISG website, and NI, then I don’t think it will be all too effective. If they can figure out an incentive for being “Student Organization of the Week” (a monetary prize, maybe?) that really motivates organizations to apply, I can see this program becoming quite successful.
Transportation
A lot of this is the same as other candidate’s transportation sections. I love the idea of extending Panther Shuttle hours; however, they are going to have to fund it somehow. Since the Student Services Fee Committee, which allocates the funding for Panther Shuttle, plans two years in advance, this might not become a reality until most of us are gone from UNI. I’m also intrigued by the idea of converting some R lots into C lots, and those C lots into B lots.
Media & Technology
Although I’m a bit biased about bringing more publications on campus, I love that they address it. The NYT program in the Union has been wildly successful, and I’m glad they want to see it expand.
Student Life
My biggest concern about this platform is the lack of a certain topic in this section: diversity. How do Kyle and Brendan plan to make UNI a more inclusive community for minority students? Typical platforms have entire sections based on Diversity. The word diversity isn’t even mentioned once throughout the entire platform. This is something that *has* to change in a hurry for them if they expect to win.
School Pride
I love the idea of making the “UNI I am…” something for students to fill in themselves.
Lobbying
The past couple of years has seen a huge amount of involvement with students and the Iowa Legislature. Expanding on the postcards is a fabulous idea that I believe will get lawmakers to have UNI on their mind a lot more than they currently do.
Recognizing Success
I like the idea about recognizing those who receive the Lux more. A lot of students are unaware of the prestigious award and it might serve as a motivator for more students to get involved and give back to UNI.
Thanks for posting this analysis Chris! I feel like you have done a fair job analyzing our platform. It is fair to say that we are not trying to radically alter NISG, just make it more efficient.
ReplyDeleteIn response to some of the questions you raised...
-Multi-Moldular Transportation Center #2 - This is something we should have expanded upon in our original platform and will be sure do so. We recognize that this is not something that we would be able to have completed or likely even started during our term. That being said, we also know that the parking situation is not going to solve itself. While we could see some of the R lots being turned into more functional parking spaces, that would be a long walk to class for many students. We would like to work with the University to make a plan for the construction of another centrally located parking facility. While this facility may not be built for several years, it would help future students.
-Panther Shuttle Funding - we understand that extending hours also presents the challenge of extending funding. We would have to take a look at the budget and see if some funding couldn't be moved around to support this effort. We have also considered the NISG Contingency Fund as a possible way of temporarily supporting the necessary funding until the additional funding was provided by the Student Services Fee. We feel this would be a good use of the students' money that is otherwise sitting ideal.
-Diversity plank- we are currently working on adding this plank to our platform. The reason that it was not originally included is because Brendan and I did not feel we had a good enough understanding of the diversity issues on campus to suggest a solution. We have since met with several student groups on campus and become better informed. You can expect our diversity plank to not only address ethnic diversity, but also the many other types of diversity that exist on this campus. Expect to see this addition to our website (www.kyle-brendan.com) by Wednesday evening at the latest.
Again I want to thank you for your analysis. Thanks to your critical eye, we will be able to strengthen our platform and better provide for all UNI students. If you have any follow up questions or any additional questions, please feel free to ask. We will answer them at our earliest opportunity.
Thanks again,
--Kyle Burns