Graduate and professional students can vote for GPSA president today through April 12.
The candidates, Rachel Jenks, Keith Valles and Dathan Weems, are second-year law students. The ballot has no other issues or amendments on it this year.
Voting is possible via the I-TEL-UNM system by calling 246-2020, or via ballot boxes in the UNM Law School; Ortega Hall, room 235; the Latin American and Iberian Institute; the Anderson Schools of Management Advisement Center; GPSA Office, which is in the basement of former bookstore; and Zimmerman Library.
Tony Long, GPSA elections chairman, said he would like to encourage all graduate students to vote via I-TEL-UNM because ballot box votes are hand-counted and take more time to tally. Long works full-time on campus conducting criminology research and is a sociology representative on the GPSA Council.
"It has been a fairly competitive, fairly time consuming but a good race," he said.
The three candidates answered questions about how they would handle the Graduate and Professional Student Association presidency at the council's monthly meeting Saturday.
Brigette Buynak, a Law School representative on the GPSA Council, said she was concerned that the Law School has too much of an effect on GPSA. All of the candidates assured her that they would go out of their way to contact other departments.
Valles said he wants to reach out to other departments by creating a Health Affairs Committee that would allow medical and science students to discuss a variety of health issues. He said the committee would provide new learning experiences and would help students build on their credentials.
Bill Dials, a Law School representative on the GPSA Council and next year's council chairman, said that he is not concerned that all three presidential candidates from GPSA are from the Law School. He said it is good, in a way, because they will split up the law vote and the winner will be the one who has reached the most departments.
"Since they are all in the same class, there is going to be a big battle," he said.
Dials asked the candidates how they would relate to the council.
Weems said he wants to work with council members to address student concerns as well as apply his own rational thought and opinions to the discussions. He added that his years of experience in student government and leadership roles will help him fill the position.
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When Isaac Hall, a medicine representative on the GPSA Council, asked about childcare, Jenks said she would look into creating a campus childcare co-op. She emphasized a plan to network student organizations so groups could work together on projects and create jobs.
Long said students should vote so they can elect someone who reflects their ideas.
