Oldja and Kelch
Oldja and Kelch
“I feel at home in the UA,” said Oldja. “I think … what’s very important for the role of a president is to have the proper experience … That way, you can hit the ground running.”
Knowing the right people is also key, they pointed out.
“I see the utility of the UA,” said Kelch. “With constant effort we can push [the UA] into the mainstream.”
Both of these candidates have experience in the UA. Kelch has served as a UA Senator and is the current Senate Speaker and Oldja is the current UA Treasurer.
Kelch cited committee apathy as a current negative aspect of the UA.
“[Students] start out with a lot of great ideas, and as time moves on [they] drop from committees,” Kelch said. “Our main push is accountability.”
Due to their experiences in the UA, both candidates have a “very good understanding of what the jobs require,” Oldja said.
When it comes to relations with the administration, Oldja and Kelch are set on bringing administrators and students together.
“It is important to inform the administrators of the student’s wants … ultimately, the administrators are the decision-makers,” Oldja said.
“Members of the administration make an assumption as to what’s best for students,” which can be uninformed, Kelch said.
Reports from committees are also a key part of their plan to improve student-administration relations.
“It’s very important to survey students and have some sort of reimbursement scheme … like a live band … or even pizza. A lot of people enjoyed having an event out of student input,” Oldja said.