Sarah Shannon ASWSU presidential hopeful Kyle Erdman and vice presidential candidate Derrick Skaug said their goal is to help as many students as possible get the most out of their college experience.

“This isn’t really about us, it’s about the students,” Skaug said. 

Erdman said the reason their slogan is “We Serve You” is because they see ASWSU as a way to serve students. ASWSU is the largest organization on campus with the most opportunity to change students' lives, he said.

Skaug said his ticket’s passion and record of service is what sets them apart from the other candidates. 

“We have knowledge of what works well from ASWSU and what can be improved upon,” Skaug said. “We also have connections among a vast array of communities. We know people from all different kinds of groups and organizations and that’s what really makes us unique in this election.” 

Both Erdman and Skaug are first generation college students from Eastern Washington. Both grew up in the Spokane area, with Erdman from the town of Hillyard and Skaug from Colbert.

Erdman is a founding father of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity on campus. Erdman said having the opportunity to start an organization, instill it with his values and see the outcome is what drew him to becoming a founder his freshman year.

Erdman, a junior English major, currently holds the executive position of director of Student Life. He said a highlight this year was working with the Women’s Resource Center last semester to bring back the SafeWalk program as a part of Women’s Transit.

“It keeps you going, gives you a little bit of inspiration to know that you do the work behind the scenes one semester and it can become a reality next semester,” Erdman said.

Skaug said he first learned about ASWSU his freshman year, but did not decide to run for senate until his sophomore year. He then became chair of the Internal Relations Committee where he learned how ASWSU works, he said.

In the following year as district 10 senator he became interested in the tone of the senate and holding senators responsible. This interest is what inspired him to run for pro-tempore, he said. Skaug, a senior political science major, currently holds the position of pro-tempore on the ASWSU senate.

Sarah Shannon “I still have been able to do a lot of stuff that’s expected of a senator … but I’ve also been really proud of what I’ve been able to do as far as getting the senate to really take their job seriously,"Skaug said."This year we’ve accomplished so much more than last year and it’s just amazing to see what the difference can make as far as starting the year off right."

Three main parts of their campaign are the “1-4-7 plan,” Cougar Success Program and “True Coug Fan of the Year.”

The “1-4-7 plan” stands for the 147 legislators in Olympia, Erdman said. The legislators set a budget that the Board of Regents uses to determine tuition. Therefore, the legislators need to be the priority, Skaug said.

“The biggest thing, though, is we need to connect with legislators throughout the year and not just in the special session,” Skaug said.

Erdman said the Cougar Success Program would be used to improve the overall well-being of students on campus.

“Basically what it is, is a bucket list created by students for students,” Erdman said, “and it focuses on your academic success, your campus involvement and your personal growth.”

Erdman said he feels the program will get students involved in ASWSU and the college experience in general.

Erdman said the “True Coug Fan of the Year” is an example of his ticket listening to students and finding out what they want to get out of their college experience.

“This is the best example to see how we have action for only one theme out of our six with athletic pride,” Erdman said. “Getting students engaged in those sporting events that don’t necessarily have the highest attendance."