Kevin Murphy, ’24, and Manasvi Bantawa, ’24, are running for Allegheny Student Government President and Vice President, respectively. Focused primarily on student culture, the ASG-outsiders want to make the organization more accessible to students. In talking to their peers, the two felt that communication and student involvement were the biggest issues going into the election.

“It was a common sentiment that no one knows what ASG is doing, no one feels very included,” Murphy said. “A lot of people feel they’re ineffective, which I don’t know is necessarily fair, but they definitely have an outreach problem.”

Along with improving campus culture, the Murphy-Bantawa ticket wants to make ASG more accessible to first-year students, expand the number of positions in ASG and require interactions from ASG members with student clubs.

“I think a freshman who is required to go out and speak to students from all over campus and take feedback would actually be more privy to what’s going on on campus than someone who has to devote all of their time to the other aspects of ASG,” Murphy said. “I think the way it’s structured right now, they (ASG members) do kind of have to spend a lot more time on things like budget, the more technical side of things. And that’s why I think adding more positions would be good, and it would allow them time for direct outreach.”

As for being ASG outsiders, the two feel prepared to take on the leadership roles with the help of their potential cabinet.

“I think anybody, when put to the task, can learn how to operate ASG and can select a cabinet of people who know what they’re doing,” Murphy said.

“I think learning the system isn’t hard, doing the work really is,” Bantawa added.