As students once again populated Center Avenue Mall, Associated Students of Colorado State University presidential candidate Jakye Nunley took to the steps of the Administration Building Tuesday, March 25. Alongside Nunley was his running mate, Joseph Godshall, who is seeking the vice presidential nod.
Nunley and Godshall are challenged by Rakesh Podder and Naga Somasekhar Prasanth Konada as well as Connor Flynn and Jonas Andersen.
By far the most experienced duo in the running, Nunley currently serves as the ASCSU chief of staff and Godshall as the director of public relations.
Podder is pursuing a Master’s degree in computer science and serves as a graduate research assistant within the department. Konada is also a Master’s student, studying computer information systems and working within CSU Marketing and Communications.
Flynn is a sophomore political science student. Andersen is a junior biomedical sciences student who works within the college office in the biomedical sciences department.
Only Nunley and Godshall were present to formally declare their candidacy for student body president and vice president, as opposed to last year’s three-campaign crowd.
Citing time constraints, Flynn and Andersen have elected to not campaign ahead of the April 7 election. Podder and Konada have yet to respond to requests for comment.
Though Nunley and Godshall have been campaigning since the designated window opened after spring break, their early-morning stump declaration solidified their candidacy and allowed them to broadcast their campaign platforms and goals for office.
“Our goal is to increase affordability through transparency so that every student, through their voice, feels like they know where their money is going.” –Joseph Godshall, vice presidential candidate
Both candidates briefly addressed onlookers in order to officially declare their candidacies before moving onto more concrete talking points and a demonstration of their campaign vision.
Godshall reiterated his experience within ASCSU and as a CSU presidential ambassador, adding that he’s the second-most-tenured current member of CSU’s student government. As a transfer student, Godshall argued his experience is bolstered through his exposure to other college institutions.
“I like to think I’m really engrained in campus life and culture,” Godshall said. “Through that connection, I’ve found that I have a lot of issues with campus life and culture, as I’m sure many people do. There’s a pretty big disconnect between the student population and our current administration.”
Godshall also expressed concern with the current relationship between students and campus leadership, pledging to work to increase engagement with the student body and communication with university administration and student organizations. Godshall also touched on the issue of student affordability, pledging to take a different approach to student engagement surrounding student fees.
“Our goal is to increase affordability through transparency so that every student, through their voice, feels like they know where their money is going,” Godshall said.
The campaign season comes in the midst of ongoing federal directives affecting student resources in higher education, leading to student protests and tense deliberations with university administration. Resolutions calling for the preservation of Cultural Resource Centers and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have been passed in the ASCSU Senate, receiving support from both Nunley and Godshall.
Nunley expanded on his ticket’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment on campus.
“No matter what it is you do, we imagine a CSU where students don’t feel as if they are tied to one walk of CSU or one walk of things because that’s not what CSU is,” Nunley said. “I’ve met so many people from CSU who I can relate to just from being a student here.”
Nunley also stressed the feasibility of their platform and goals while in office, contending many issues facing ASCSU and the broader student body can be remedied through community engagement and cohesion. In his first year at CSU, Nunley helped form the Students of The Oval Caucus, which works to promote outreach and bring in outside student voices to ASCSU processes.
“The leadership and the vision we have moving forward is a sustainable vision and a vision that we put a lot of intentionality and thought into,” Nunley said. “Nothing about this campaign was thrown together.”
Nunley and Godshall both mentioned reimagining the relationship between student government and Fraternity and Sorority Life at CSU. Godshall said his experience as president of Phi Kappa Theta motivated him to use his candidacy to more directly involve Greek life in the decisions ASCSU makes.
Nunley and Godshall will continue campaigning until the April 7 election.
Reach Sam Hutton at news@collegian.com or on social media @CSUCollegian.
