Aaron Esman
Aaron Esman, the face of “Best U Ever Had,” is a junior from Pound Ridge, N.Y. majoring in marketing and media management. He is running with Molly Piccione as his Vice President and Sabrina Bunch as his Treasurer.
“I think I’d make a good president because I really know what it’s like to be a student of the U,” Esman said. “I’ve seen all the school has to offer each student and I want to make sure all students take advantage of it. It’s my chance to give back to them.”
Esman is the Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Student Senate and the president of SpectrUM.
“Running for president is something I found myself gravitating towards during my time here,” he said. “When I first got to school I was really just interested in making friends, but through friends I joined organizations. Through organizations I took on more responsibility, and through responsibility I gained leadership positions. I feel like this is the next step.”
Some Major Platforms:
- Shuttles to Orlando/Tampa for Thanksgiving- An easy way to get around Florida for Thanksgiving break for freshmen who aren’t allowed cars.
- Monthly town hall meetings- Open forums where students can ask SG any question they have about the university. No question will remain unanswered.
- Gender neutral housing in University Village- Men and women can share the same apartment in the University Village if they chose.
- Transfer Assistants- RA’s for transfer students to help them adjust to campus life.
- Revamped Off-Campus Housing Fair- With the possibility of a housing lottery, SG will bring better realtors and furniture vendors to campus to help students get the best possible living space in the area.
- Updates to myUM- Including a search for classes by a specific time period or teacher, a GPA calculator, and a list of students for each class to make study groups and help with homework easy.
- Guide to all vendors in the Miami area that give discounts to UM students with their Cane Card.
- Twenty-four hour practice in the music school will be open for students to use during reading days and finals.
Facebook group: Best U Ever Had
Shahzam Malik
Shahzam Malik from Lahore, Pakistan is a junior majoring in entrepreneurship. He is running with Christine Nanan as his treasurer under the slogan “All For U.”
“I would make a good president because I have a lot of experience and I actually enjoy doing it,” Malik said. “It’s my passion and it’s something I excel at.”
Malik describes himself as loyal, hard-working and diverse. He is a member of the Student Government Cabinet and the Council of International Students and Organizations Cabinet. He is also the United Nations Day Chair and the Vice President of Strictly Business, an association that helps prepare students for the business world.
“I’m running because it’s something I truly enjoy doing,” Malik said. “I truly like diversity and I want to stress the fact that we have students from all across the world. I think they should be represented. I just want to make the school a better place.”
Some Major Platforms:
- Parking zone reform
- Wednesday off before Thanksgiving
- Twenty-four hour printers and scanners
- Grocery delivery service
- Increased student employment
- Free door-to-door shuttle service
- Additional shuttle stops at Red Road Commons and other locations such as Dadeland Station and Mall
- Laptop and phone chargers in the library
- Laptop rental service
- Refrigerator, TV and game console rental service in residential colleges
Website: www.umall4u.com
Christina Farmer
Christina Farmer, running with Valentina Lamas as her Vice President and Nick Cote as her treasurer on the “UFirst” ticket, is a junior majoring in international finance and marketing and minoring in business law. She’s from Pensacola, Fla.
Farmer is Speaker of the Student Senate, a Resident Assistant in Hecht and a member of the Tri Delta sorority. She is also on the Homecoming Executive Committee and is a P100 and a UM Ambassador.
“I’ve had such a wide range of experiences on campus,” Farmer said. “I have such a strong desire to reach out to students, listen to their needs and ideas and find and create the best possible solution to their problems.”
Farmer said her team’s goals were compiled after speaking to the students and finding out what their needs really were.
Some Major Platforms:
- Fresh farmer’s market
- Improvement of pre-professional tracks
- Food services- credit card use in kiosks, calories on menus, slushy machine in C-Store, 24 hour C-store during finals
- Student legal aide
- Textbook rental service
- Canes Nights- Experience Miami on and off campus
- Improved parking- convenient parking service, discount carpool passes, wellness and apartment area all access lots
- Campus wide access to software through the internet- SPSS, Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut
- UPlanner- sync your calendar with UM events of your choice
- Rent a Bike program
Website: www.voteufirst.com
-Mike DeMasco and Zach Hill of the “Help Us Help U” ticket have dropped out of the formal race.
Nina Ruggiero may be contacted at nruggiero@themiamihurricane.com.