Kelly, Lemarier advocate 24-hour library, bus stop heaters

Between Sean Kelly and Ashley Lemarier, the two sophomores are involved in admissions, freshmen orientation, senior staff, the MUB advisory board, the mailroom and Student Senate - and the pair hopes to add another important position to the list.

The basis and motto of their campaign for Student Body President and Vice President is to "represent the everyday students," said Kelly. "We're students who want what you want. I think we fit the mold of the everyday student, and we both know their needs."

Both Kelly and Lemarier are on the Academic Affairs Committee in Student Senate, with Kelly acting as chair. When Kelly decided to run for Student Body President he asked his fellow committee member and longtime friend Lemarier to be his vice president.

"I didn't have a backup," he said. "So it's a good thing she said 'yes.'"

Lemarier cites their goals as "tangible and significant changes." If elected they hope to change things that students will see and use every day, such as heaters in the bus stops, wireless Internet in the residence halls and making Dimond a 24-hour library. The move to extend the library's hours is a continuation of their efforts as a part of Student Senate. Already their committee has succeeded in keeping the library open until 2 a.m.

Beyond the changes to the campus, Kelly and Lemarier have some other things in store. They would like to see all course evaluations posted on Blackboard to aid students in picking classes that will work for them. Though it's possible to look up some evaluations in the library, Kelly and Lemarier want them all easily accessible to every student.

This objective relates their other concern, student rights. They want to be, as Lemarier said, "students watching out for other students."

"The biggest issue is that the University is in a swing of cracking down," said Kelly. "People need to be aware of their rights." They aim to better educate the student body on situations such as whether or not students are obligated to let RAs into their rooms, what students can and cannot do when police knock on dorm room doors and other instances where students may not be completely aware of what they're allowed.

These are all things Kelly and Lemarier hope to change when it comes to campus life, but they also hope to bring change to students' attitudes towards the elections themselves. By speaking at different clubs, organizations and dorms, they've focused their efforts on the students who may not always pay attention to the campaign.

"I think generally people aren't that interested," said Kelly. "I think our job is to make people interested by going to residence halls and student organization meetings."

"I would ask them what they don't like about campus and what we can change for them," Lemarier added. Their aim is to reach out to the students who most need changes but don't often speak out.

Whether or not their methods are successful this year, both Kelly and Lemarier will stay involved with student politics until they graduate.

"I'd definitely be involved," said Kelly. "It's a pretty gratifying organization to be in. It's such a big part of my life I can't see myself leaving anytime soon."