The ASUNM slate Rise hopes to make UNM more accountable, sustainable and safe.
The staples of the slate's platform are decreasing the adviser-to-student ratio, advocating environmentally friendly alternatives, starting safe-ride services for students, and increasing student government transparency.
Rise candidates said their diversity of background and opinion distinguishes their slate from the others.
"I think that's something unique to the slate," Rise vice presidential candidate David Conway said. "We've got people that are from all walks of life and that have different concerns. We were very concerned with putting a slate together that didn't have the same opinions on everything."
Conway, who is No. 2 on the ASUNM ballot, said Rise would improve transparency by creating "out-of-office" office hours, where ASUNM senators would meet with students in high-traffic areas rather than in their offices in the SUB basement.
Conway said Rise would make ASUNM more accountable by informing students about proposed legislation on the ASUNM Web site.
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The current adviser-to-student ratio is 1000:1, and Conway said Rise would work to improve that number and hold advisers more accountable for the advice given to students.
"We want to absolutely decrease that number by putting money into it and by making sure the system is streamlined and not flawed," he said.
ASUNM Sen. Arielle Bernier, No. 9 on the ballot, is running for re-election on the Rise slate. She said ASUNM has a duty to provide for the entire UNM student population.
"I truly believe in representing the student body as a whole, not just one certain group of students," Bernier said. "I think (the slate) needs to be diverse to really reflect the student body."
Bernier is spearheading legislation for a safe-ride initiative called Lobolift, and she said the initiative might lose momentum if she is not re-elected.
The initiative would provide for a free car ride for students in the UNM area who are too intoxicated to drive.
Conway said Rise wants to make alternative transportation and environmentally friendly options more accessible.
In addition to maintaining free ABQ Ride passes for students and installing more bike racks, Conway said a kiosk would be installed in the SUB with information about local and global sustainability issues.
"It's going to be important that we help connect students with more economically and environmentally feasible ways to get to campus," he said. "That comes through continuing to advocate for the Albuquerque city bus passes."
Conway said it would be ASUNM's role to bring the University together and quell the disagreements between staff, faculty and administrators.
"We have to come together . at this University," he said. "When things go wrong, everybody points a finger - everybody - and it has to be the role of the students to be able to intervene and say, 'Look, let's try to work together to make this University a better place.'"
Freshman Michael Robinson said a safe-ride program might be necessary in addition to other campus safety precautions.
"I've never felt uncomfortable, but if you do feel uncomfortable, then I'd say that's a nice service," he said. "I've seen the call boxes and those are kind of cool."
Robinson said that as an avid bicyclist, he is looking for a more bike-friendly campus from his student government.
"Being a biker, I would say sustainability is important," he said. "As far as the bus rides, I don't personally use them, but I know people who do, and I think it's very important to them so I'm all for it."
Freshman Monty Streeter said he thinks reducing UNM's carbon footprint is important, but he is concerned about the economic impact of implementing environmentally friendly alternatives.
"If the student government was able to maintain the funding to make sure that all the student body had a bus pass or to build the kiosk in the SUB, I think that'd be good," Streeter said. "But it really depends on how the budget accommodates that."
