A second-year student and the author of multiple senate bills, Kyle Hill is campaigning to lead the Associated Students of Colorado State University senate as speaker of the senate for the 2020-21 school year.
Hill, who is from Colorado Springs, is majoring in biomedical sciences and has represented the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in the senate since September 2019.
“I am prepared to be speaker of the senate because, (with) my senator experience this past year, I have written a few bills in my time that are very important,” Hill said.
In a video posted to his campaign Instagram, Hill said he decided to join student government after freshman Anthony “TJ” Avery died after a car accident at the beginning of last school year.
(Given) the time of division throughout our whole community, it is a time to bring unity and peace to everybody and that is something I am absolutely prepared to do.” -Kyle Hill, speaker of the senate candidate
Since joining ASCSU, Hill has written three bills: the “flu vaccine incentive,” which did not pass but aimed to increase a higher flu shot turnout rate on campus; the passed “COVID-19 compensation bill,” which requested the return of student fees to students when campus closed in March; and a bill that will be voted on in the coming weeks that will place cameras near bike stands around campus.
His most recent bill will also place signage warning people of the security cameras in the area around bike stands in an effort to prevent bike theft on campus. Hill said research has shown that these actions could reduce theft by 30% to 50%.
Lowering student fee and textbook costs, continuing to advocate for a change to U+2 and adding seats in the ASCSU senate for students involved in fraternity and sorority life on campus are Hill’s main campaign platforms.
“When I’m speaker of the senate, I’m prepared to work with (the) student body president and vice president and the rest of leadership to get more initiatives done here on campus,” Hill said. “I want to finish U+2 (and) finish reforming it to Me+3. President (Ben) Amundson and his cabinet have done a lot of work for that, a lot of progress. During my term, we will finish it. We will get that done.”
Hill said that, with representatives in the ASCSU senate from all the colleges and Student Diversity Programs and Services, he believes students in the Interfraternity Council deserve an equal voice as well.
“As someone who is also involved in Greek life, I realize that that is a very important part of me, and I believe I’m the only candidate running for speaker of the senate who’s involved in Greek life,” Hill said. “So I am able to represent them and show that they are, that they can be, representatives just as well.”
Hill said that he is here to represent all students.
“(Given) the time of division throughout our whole community, it is a time to bring unity and peace to everybody,” Hill said. “And that is something I am absolutely prepared to do. I want to bring peace to all of campus, especially during times of partisanship and people disagreeing.”
Serena Bettis can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @serenaroseb.
