Next USG president/vice president

On Friday, the Undergraduate Student Government announced the running candidates, Alexander Chiarelott as the next USG president, along with Gil Lutz as his vice president.

Chiarelott and Lutz won with a total of 851 votes, beating the Cunningham/Lynn campaign by 318 votes and the Williams/Dean campaign by 645 votes.

Chiarelott is currently positioned as the USG Academics Affair Chair, while Lutz serves as the Student Affairs Chair. Both candidates have spent 3 years in USG and have worked on notable policies such as the Pass/Fail resolution, as well as initiatives to save the American Sign Language program.

“We will represent every student at BGSU. We are your faithful servants, and we will put our whole heart and our every effort into making your experience at BGSU the very best it can be!” they wrote on Instagram.

Key policies

Their campaign is prioritizing a strong focus on funding for the counseling center, paying student teachers and securing a $10 minimum wage for all working students.

Funding counseling center

Currently, the counseling center does not have a director to lead the organization. With the center being understaffed as well, several students have found difficulty making appointments that accommodate their busy schedules.

“Amidst a pandemic, tragedies at the university and the expected stresses of college and young adulthood, the center needs to be more accessible and equipped than ever,” they said. 

Compensation for student teachers

In this plan, they hope to compensate for commute costs by expanding the gas card program for student teachers. In addition, they hope to extend grants to senior-level education majors who are student teachers.

“Teachers are essential to our society and we recognize that we need to do better to 

ensure their financial security. That starts with paying pre-service student teachers, who work 40+ hours a week under close scrutiny, driving up to 140 miles daily.”

$10 minimum wage

To create a standard $10 minimum wage for BGSU students, Chiarelott and Lutz hope to slightly raise the costs of concessions, sporting event tickets and parking prices.

“These areas bring in approximately $3,000,000 for BGSU and a small increase in their prices will allow student workers to make a more liveable wage,” they said.

For more information about the Chiarelott and Lutz campaign, visit their campaign page on Instagram @chiarelott_lutz_usg.