Andrea Cook

Sen. Andrea Cook, presidential candidate on The Connection slate, wants students to know about ASUNM campus safety and the various services available at the University.

She is working to create a mandatory eight-week safety awareness course for transfer and freshmen students to learn more about acquaintance rape and alcohol among other topics. She added that the class could provide a way to educate new students about different organizations, services and events on campus.

Cook said she wants to update ASUNM’s Web site with minutes, agendas, polls on campus safety and other issues. She also wants the site to offer information on tuition and scholarships as well as links to other UNM sites. She said she would also like to use an e-mail listserv to inform students about ASUNM, campus services and upcoming events, such as comedian Colin Quinn’s show on Thursday.

“There are so many things available to students,” she said.

Cook said she will let students know that ASUNM contains more than just 20 senators, a vice-president and president. She wants students to know about the different executive agencies and committees involved with the organization such as Student Special Events that brought pop star Tiffany to campus.

Cook, who is president-tempore of the Senate, said she gets frustrated when senators do not relay budget information or event announcements to their student groups, which makes the hard-working ASUNM senators look bad.

“You give them directions, tell them to sign in, do office hours and they still don’t listen to you,” she said.

Cook said the Senate’s standing rules will increase communication between the Senate and student organizations — especially with funding matters.

Senate life takes some getting used to, Cook said.

“You’re thrown into this whole new world of writing bills, appropriations — all kinds of new things,” she said.

Cook said she learned about the goals and accomplishments of different student organizations by serving on the Finance Committee. She said she also has learned to sit back and listen to people during Senate meetings and that people’s different opinions make UNM a great place to learn.

Cook said that her greatest achievement at ASUNM was when she and Sen. Joshua Aragon, among others, worked to create a Student Success Center at the Student Services Center with advisors and one-on-one mentoring to help students get answers to questions they have about the University.

She is a member of the Chi Omega sorority and is involved with the Mortar Board honor society, Golden Key National Honor Society, Order of Omega honor society, Trailblazers and the annual Up ’til Dawn fund-raiser. She is also an afternoon pre-school teacher at All Angels Episcopal Day School and said the work helps her focus on what really matters.

“Children are so innocent,” she said. “They are so open, honest and impressionable.”

She loves to run at the Law School golf course, she said, but hasn’t been able to go every day because she has been busy campaigning.

Cook said campaigning has been fun because she likes speaking with and educating students. She said she shares many viewpoints with her opponents and that she is glad they are not at each other’s throats.

“I can say we’re friends,” she said.