Two candidates are fighting for the chance to serve as the Creighton Student Union’s president in the face of massive change throughout the university.
The candidates – Business junior Nathan Bauer and Arts & Sciences junior Doug McAcy – are currently in the middle of a heated election to serve as CSU’s executive for the upcoming 12-month term.
This election will be of unique importance as CSU faces internal reorganization, a new Creighton president and a daunting reprioritization program by the administration in the name of cutting costs.
As such, the votes made this coming Tuesday hold extra weight for the future and direction of Creighton University.
To better understand the candidates, students need to know what the candidates stand for and what they intend to do with the opportunity allotted to them.
Nathan Bauer:
Bauer, a finance/accounting major, has been serving CSU in his capacity as the vice president of finance for the past year, and he, if elected to the presidency, will be the only executive to move forward into the next term. Bauer said his experience in his current position within CSU has allowed him to get a “strategic vision” of what’s going on in CSU from all perspectives.
Bauer’s successes in CSU have not been limited to his work with the budget and finances, as shown by the recent effort by CSU to increase funding for sports clubs, an action he said he personally spearheaded. The aim of this movement is to help remove some of the substantial financial burden of on-campus sports clubs.
Bauer said he also wants to hold CSU to a higher standard.
“CSU doesn’t represent students as well as we could,” he said. “A lot of organizations are underrepresented.”
Bauer said he recognizes these organizational flaws and intends to address them as president.
His solution, he said, would be to form a committee of organizations from throughout the Creighton campus where they can express thoughts and concerns to CSU. Other issues Bauer said he plans to address are funding for presentation of research abroad, increasing funding for Creighton’s annual concerts and advertising CSU’s funding more thoroughly.
Nonetheless, Bauer said he recognizes that the different colleges within Creighton will have different needs.
To this end, he has said he would meet with Creighton’s administrators to balance the needs of the colleges, specifically by seeing what the schools need compared to what they’ve been receiving.
Bauer will be hosting a cookout on Skinner Mall Friday to promote his campaign and will be offering free hot dogs to students in attendance.
Doug McAcy:
Bauer’s opponent, political science major McAcy, is currently serving as CSU’s chief of staff, a position created in 2010. In addition, he represents Creighton as a standing member of the local Omaha Police Department Precinct Advisory Committee, from which he presents safety concerns to CSU.
In his capacity as chief of staff, McAcy oversees the day-to-day operations of CSU.
“(It) allows me to get a broad overview of the intricacies of the Union,” he said. “I don’t deal with just one issue; I work with the president and the various vice presidents.”
If elected, McAcy said dining services and parking issues would be on the top of his to-do list. He also said he aims to move the check-in hours for on-campus resident halls to 9 p.m., while still maintaining current curfew and gender restrictions.
McAcy said he intends to increase student involvement in CSU’s activities and would encourage students to go to board meetings to have their voices heard.
McAcy also said he plans to reorganize CSU to be more accommodating to underrepresented groups, citing an overlap between the various college governments and CSU.
“We lose a lot of opinions from the Greek community, GSA and other students the way our system functions now,” he said.
McAcy said he intends to keep meeting with students and student organizations in the days leading into the election.
“I’m not running for me,” he said. “I’m running so I can help the most students in the best way possible.”
While this article began with the intention of endorsing a candidate, the task has proven impossible. Both candidates are comparable in their grasp of the prevalent issues for CSU, including addressing its own organizational failings and balancing the needs of the individual colleges.
Nonetheless, it’s obvious that each candidate offers different strengths and weaknesses to the position, and that these will translate into his work in CSU.
Whereas Bauer’s charisma and experience as an active member of the executive team will lend him authority as president, so too will McAcy’s unique position in CSU and decication grant him added credibility.
Students are, as they were last year, faced with no wrong answer in this season’s election. But as always, the true test will come in the months following the election, when goals are either met or left forgotten.
Unfortunately, years down the road, no one will remember who was elected CSU president in 2010, but the upcoming candidates have an opportunity to draw change that will last well beyond their time in office.
Ultimately, the decision comes down to personal preference, but when it comes to success in CSU, both candidates have proven themselves capable and determined. With less than a week left until elections, but the time to make decisions is coming to a close.
A presidential debate between the two candidates will be held Monday in the Skutt Student Center at 7 p.m. Check your e-mail Tuesday to vote for who you think should be the next CSU president.