Column: It's time to Rise to the challenge

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As the late, great Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." For our University's current situation, more relevant words were never spoken. We all feel the economic and academic crunch, the limitless weight bearing down upon us, making even the most courageous of us sweat. It is in times like these that we must remember Emerson's words, and through a common and honest effort, Rise above our current challenges and come out stronger than we once were. Our undergraduate student body will play a crucial role in the revival, and we need the right leaders in place to ensure our success.

Serving as ASUNM senators for a combined five semesters, we have had a firsthand look at the inner workings of our undergraduate student government and all of the things ASUNM can accomplish. We know how student government works, and we know the actual and realistic changes our student government can accomplish. We saw firsthand the power our student government has when lobbying the Legislature to keep tuition low and retain funding for necessary student-service programs. The lobbying done by the Lobby Committee is just one of the many initiatives ASUNM works toward for the undergraduate student body, and it is important to put the right people in the right leadership positions to not only work toward the right goals (and the ones students want), but to be effective in accomplishing those goals.

This is why we are running for ASUNM president and vice president, respectively, on a slate composed of students who, we believe, have those very abilities. If you elect the well-rounded mix of students that comprise the Rise slate, we will not only make it our priority to ensure that the voices of all students are heard, but they are shouted from the rooftop. We are not only diverse in background, but in opinion as well. While we realize that no group of students may agree on everything, we also realize the power of communication and the effect of open-mindedness. We have heard the concerns of students loud and clear, and we will work to address these concerns.

Next, poor advising is also a primary concern of the students. If elected, the members of Rise will work to reduce the adviser-to-student ratio that has increased to nearly 1,000:1 at UNM. This can be accomplished by sound financial practices of not only ASUNM, but also the University community at large. As students - and the paying customers of this institution - we deserve advising more comparable to what we pay for. We will also hold more forums where students can voice their specific concerns.

Rise also believes it is essential for ASUNM to facilitate better communication between GPSA, faculty, staff and administration. Furthermore, we would like to improve our own communication and transparency with the undergraduate population. We will accomplish this through more outreach to students. Whether this is through a student forum or some other avenue, it is clear ASUNM needs more student input. The ASUNM Web site will also be improved and will feature legislation that ASUNM has on the agenda, as well as a comment board to allow students to give their feedback on anything ASUNM-related.

In an effort to make UNM more sustainable, we believe that we need to walk the walk if we are going to talk the talk. We would like to cut back on the use of paper in ASUNM meetings and make the much-needed push toward an electronic format. Not only this, but ASUNM will continue to phase out the use of plastic water bottles at ASUNM events.

The University has plans to use current on-campus parking to construct new buildings, which will vastly diminish our on-campus parking. This situation, paired with the rising price of parking permits as well as gasoline, is forcing 20,000 students to consider alternative ways of transporting themselves to UNM. Rise will lobby the Legislature to once again fund the free bus passes for UNM students that have been essential in many students' everyday lives. Rise will also work to make UNM more biker-friendly. Bikers at UNM deserve more bike racks in high traffic areas on campus.

Lastly, we would like to continue efforts made by ASUNM this year to implement a safe-ride program called Lobo Lift. It will be a free service for all UNM students. With New Mexico's rate of drunk driving, it is important to ensure that our students are safe. Many neighboring universities have similar programs, and we feel that this could be not only an invaluable tool to UNM students, but also one that may even save their lives.

If elected Wednesday, Rise will work toward accomplishing these goals, along with other issues and concerns that may arise. In these positions, it is up to us to serve UNM students. The University and the country are going through extremely challenging times. Now, more than ever, UNM needs great student leadership. It is time to Rise to the challenge.

Monika Roberts is running for ASUNM president, and David Conway is running for vice president.