ASUNM presidential candidate Mahad Ahmed, who is running with the Cherries to Silver campaign, said that the objective behind the group's unorthodox campaign is to break away from the conventional strategies of ASUNM and focus on improving the overall college experience.
"We decided long ago that we wanted to make our candidacy about more than chalkings and banners on campus," Ahmed said. "We want the chance to make a real difference at UNM, to break away from the norms of unfulfilled promises, unrealized goals."
Ahmed, who said that he began researching the Associated Students of UNM years ago and regularly attended the organization's meetings since last year, said that he believes that slates are created to merely fill positions and not by people whose intentions are to create positive change.
"As a result, they actually destroy the ideals and opinions that they purport to support," he said.
Ahmed, a sophomore, said that if elected, his highest priority will be making campus more enjoyable for students, and that increased communication is the first step in accomplishing that goal.
"It is unfortunate that the majority of the student body is unaware of all the resources at their disposal on campus," Ahmed said. "Being that we are a commuter campus, it is important that organizations like ASUNM, that are designed to serve the students, are in contact with the entire population, not just those easiest to reach."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Ahmed said informational forums designed to inform students of the events on campus that affect them, an increase in ASUNM publications and a sincere interest by those in ASUNM to listen to students are a start to solving the problem of a lack of information that he believes has plagued UNM for years.
"In all honesty, I've been crushed at how the relationship with students has been treated by ASUNM," Ahmed said. "We want to do something different. We want to be a catalyst for real, meaningful change."
Ahmed said that he lives by the philosophy that in order to lead, you first must follow. He said he believes that through the diverse array of campus organizations that he and his fellow campaign members belong to, that they have their fingers on the pulse of the UNM community.
Parking and tuition increases are also problems Ahmed said that he would address if elected. He said for any university to be successful and foster an educational environment, it needs to be as problem-free as possible.
"I'm livid at the way UNM's administration has held a reactive instead of a proactive approach toward these type of problems that have hampered UNM's students for years," Ahmed said. "While ASUNM does not have a final say in tuition increases or the parking situation on campus, it can do much more as far as educating students and bridging the gap between the students and those entities that have the power to make change."
He said that while the entire Cherries to Silver campaign has numerous ideas for improving the quality of students' experiences at UNM, words are meaningless without action and campus members want the chance to prove they are dedicated to seeing everyone's visions for a better UNM to fruition.
"We want to lead by example," Ahmed said. "ASUNM is not the answer to every problem on campus, but together with the students, it can make great strides in improving UNM and the quality of campus life for generations to come."
Ahmed correctly named UNM Regents Andrea Cook, Larry Willard and Sandra Begay-Campbell, and the Juggling Club, the Ultimate Frisbee Club and the Hispanic Engineering Association as student organizations. He also correctly named Provost Brian Foster and President Chris Garcia.
