Daily Lobo: What is ASUNM?
Brittany Jaeger: It's the undergraduate student government; it's comprised of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The executive branch is myself. I have a presidential aide, I have a webmaster, and then I also have seven executive agencies underneath me, which go from Craft Studio, Southwest Film Center, Lobo Spirit, Student Special Events, and the Lobby Committee.
DL: As ASUNM President, what are some of your duties and responsibilities?
BJ: I am in charge of all the executive agencies. I do all the hiring for those as well as make sure they are doing what they need to be doing, making sure they are accomplishing all their tasks and staying on top of things. I also serve as the voice of the undergraduates, so if there ever is a decision that needs to be made and they need the voice of the students, they typically come to me.
DL: How do you gather the opinions of the undergraduates?
BJ: A lot of the time I will utilize the 20 senators' help. Last semester we had a lot of tabling events. We just had pieces of paper that asked, 'If you could change one thing about UNM what would it be?"
DL: How difficult is it to become a member of UNM's student government?
BJ: I think it's more along the lines of how difficult people tend to make it for themselves - it's very easy to volunteer. As far as getting involved in a senate position, where you have to get elected, you have to put yourself out on a line, you have to go out and you have to campaign.
DL: What do you like best about going to school here at UNM?
BJ: I think what is so unique about UNM is, being born and raised here, it's completely different from what I think of the city, compared to where I live. I lived in the Northeast Heights; I didn't come down to Downtown, or around this area very often.
DL: What's the best thing about being ASUNM President?
BJ: I really feel that I can serve the students through being really honest with them. I think what I really enjoy about this position is the opportunity to see what happens on one side and explain it to the other in the most honest way.
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DL: What kind of advice would you offer new students?
BJ: I would really invite people to get involved, not necessarily with ASUNM if it's not their thing; we have over 400 student groups on campus. There's something for everyone, and if there's not, you can charter your own. Invite people to make UNM the home that I've made it, because it's only what you make of it.
DL: What is your favorite memory of UNM?
BJ: I think my favorite memory of UNM was last summer I was an orientation leader, and that was probably one of the best experiences of my life, just because it's so scary to come to a huge university. It was awesome just seeing those students come in and me being able to mentor them and help through the process of registration, getting your classes, getting your books and getting to know the campus.
DL: Is there anything you haven't done, either for yourself or the school that you would like to do?
BJ: For myself, I would like to look into more of the student organizations, to be involved with those. I've been involved with ASUNM so intently that I really haven't gone out to those student groups. With my position, I have said that my goal is to create some sort of dead week, or a review period prior to finals. I'm still really looking into that.
DL: What was your favorite class here?
BJ: I'm a marketing major, so my favorite class has been marketing. It was really hard and the worst grade I've ever gotten, but it was still my favorite. It was just a fun class.
DL: What are you plans for after graduation?
BJ: Eventually, I would like to do marketing and planning for a sports stadium. I was always brought up around sports. I've never done a sport, and I think that it might be kind of appealing to me to work with sports because it's something different.
- Tamara Gaskill
