Editor,
My name is Evan Harris and I am an independent candidate for ASUNM vice president. My previous letters to the Daily Lobo were published on March 31 and April 3 and should be available online. Today, I will focus on some of my ideas for improving ASUNM lobbying efforts.
In my last letter, I outlined my idea for a UNM book swap. However, there are other methods of lowering textbook costs. Legislation that curtails some of the textbook industry's more devious practices needs student support. These include bundling textbooks, adding workbooks and CD-ROM's that students don't need, use or want, withholding pricing information from professors, and constantly producing new editions. If elected, I will work hard to see that a push for such legislation is part of the ASUNM lobby agenda.
Furthermore, I will endeavor to employ ASUNM resources in a more effective manner. For example, many undergraduates who wish to participate in ASUNM Lobby Day are unable to commit an entire school day to lobbying in Santa Fe. I will work to secure several phones that day so students who are unable to attend can participate in a phone bank where volunteers will call their legislators to support student initiatives.
Moreover, I promise to work closely with members of GPSA, Staff Council and Faculty Senate to further our common interests.
Together, we can provide a stronger, more effective voice for UNM. Change is not something that happens merely because you elect a diverse group of representatives. It is the cumulative sum of small changes brought about by effective planning and organization.
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That is why I have endeavored not only to describe a plausible vision for the future of ASUNM but also how I intend to take it there. I do not say this to detract from any of the other candidates who have written in to the Daily Lobo. I say it because, as an independent candidate, I am an undergraduate student who is still uncertain as to whom I will vote for on April 15.
Evan Harris
UNM student
