Campaigns for the Associated Students of Colorado State University elections for the 2025-26 academic year are underway. The Collegian sat down with speaker of the senate candidate Ryer Roberts to discuss his background, campaign platform and future plans.
Roberts is a sophomore studying agricultural and resource economics and currently represents the College of Agricultural Sciences in the senate.
Roberts is currently running unopposed for speaker.
Background, ASCSU experience, qualifications
Roberts: I have a very large agricultural background. I’ve been a part of lots of agriculture leadership roles that have prepared me for a role such as this, as ASCSU speaker.
I got involved in ASCSU at the end of my first semester as a freshman. From the moment I got into that space, I just knew that it was somewhere I could add value and create added value for students just by advocating not only for my constituency, but for the underheard student voices. I jumped into that role and was ready to just take it on.
At the end of last year, I thought that maybe it would be cool to be speaker and then, from there, that’s where I ended up. I’m here getting to run, and I’m incredibly grateful. I’m excited for the opportunity to represent the 33,000 students that go to Colorado State University.
Campaign, campus issues, priorities
Roberts: Making an accessible space is my No. 1 priority. Making sure that people that come in are invited with a smile and that they feel welcomed in ASCSU, not just in ASCSU in general, but also into that senate space so they can understand what bills and lexes and the legislation that we’re passing is (and) they can understand those issues that we’re trying to tackle.
Just making sure that I am amplifying student voices — that’s the simplest way I can put it. Making sure that I am listening, and not listening to respond, but to understand. Then, I can turn around and amplify that voice, whether that’s the school administration, other campus leaders, wherever that space may be — just making sure that I’m advocating for students day-in and day-out.
The overall arching issue or thing that I’m going to try and tackle as speaker is just the way we communicate with students. We have these beautiful media outlets, but also how are we making sure that students understand what ASCSU is (and) what legislation is going on, and doing that in a timely and concise manner? So making sure that we have concise communication (and) making sure that I’m addressing the student body. My goal is to address the student body quarterly in some sort of fashion (and) making sure that they’re understanding the legislation that we’re passing and what’s happening in the senate.
ASCSU-student relationship, future goals
Roberts: There’s continuously room for improvement. I think that’s the No. 1 thing that we have to understand. Moving forward, making sure that students realize that they don’t have to be actively participating in ASCSU, but that they’re a part of ASCSU by just going in and being a student here. So making sure that we’re inviting students in, and advocacy is not only happening during the campaign season, but year-round, is something that I am going to strive to do.
A tangible idea I have is a bring-a-friend-to-senate night, (and) senators reach out to people in their college, bring those students in so they really can see and feel immersed in what’s happening. If we’re not talking to our students, we’re not representing our students. If I am elected as speaker of the senate, it’s my main goal to make sure that our senators are representing their constituencies well by talking to them, advocating for them and really understanding their stances on the issues so we can get the best representation possible.
Just cleaning up those communication lines so people realize that ASCSU is for them. It’s for the people, by the people, so just making sure that those spaces are open.
Reach Claire VanDeventer at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
