Essig says he wanted Rupp on ballot, suggests ideas to improve election next year

By Emilie Holmes

March 24, 2004 | Associated Student of USU primary presidential candidate Brigham Rupp wasn't the only one who wished he could take finalist candidate Josh Cook's place after Cook dropped out of the election Thursday.

Les Essig, who was the only finalist candidate left, wanted Rupp to join him on the ballot.

"I was in complete support of Brigham moving up," Essig said a few days after winning the election by just fewer than 3,000 votes. "I asked [ASUSU Public Relations Vice President] Ashley Stolworthy about it a few minutes after Josh's announcement."

But, Stolworthy told Essig, who said he was "frustrated" by Cook's drop-out, that election bylaws specifically prevented another candidate from entering the race after finals campaigning had begun. Cook had dropped out about 20 hours too late.

Rupp filed as a write-in candidate after Cook's announcement, but only managed 154 votes by the time voting closed at 5 p.m. Friday.

"Brigham had little more than 24 hours to campaign," Essig said. "I would support an action [to change bylaws] to move the next candidate up in a situation like this."

Elections for the student body representatives were completed in less than a week this year. Essig said he'd had concerns all year about the one-week election schedule, but thought it turned out better than expected.

"My concerns were about low voter turnout," he said. On the other hand, Essig said the one-week schedule kept candidates in class more ("academics are top priority") and his concerns weren't warranted about voter turnout.

Pulling in just more than 4,500 students, the voting turnout was better than last year.

"I guess I'm not opposed to the one-week schedule, but I did make a couple of recommendations to Ashley for next year," Essig said.

For instance, next year's election schedule might have primary campaigning on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and final campaigning the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I think that's a great idea," Essig said. "It'll give candidates a chance to regroup and reorganize [over the weekend] and it keeps student in class."

Essig, who will be a senior next year, said he's looking forward to working with the other council members who have been elected for the 2004-05 school year.

"We have strong leaders with lots of experience and younger ones with new ideas," he said.

The president-elect has already started working on things for next year.

One of his campaign platforms was to bring Love Sacs to the Taggart Student Center – to "make it seem more like a student center, not an administration center."

Essig said he's already "made some calls" and hopes to get that issue through the council by the end of this year.

Also during the next month of school, Essig said the 2004-05 council will be getting to know each other.

"I sorry to say, there are several of them I've only met briefly," he said.

Getting-to-know-you starts this weekend with a retreat to Bear Lake for the council. In addition to introductions, Essig said the council will be setting goals and planning for some of its summer activities.

One thing that Essig will try to change next year is how executive meetings are run.

"We're going to make them more efficient – talk about issues, not just calendaring," he said.

Overall though, Essig said he wants students to learn next year that ASUSU officers are first, working, and second, working for the students.

"We want them to know that ASUSU is working and that things are happening," he said.

A lot of awareness will be raised through specific officers and their goals, Essig said.

"I'm really looking forward to next year," he said. "We're going to emphasize the open-door policy. Big things are going to happen."

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