When Courtney Russell became ASNMU president, I felt bad for her. She had signed up for vice president, not president, she wasn’t going to be paid, and she was coming in mid-year, an obvious disadvantage. But Russell has proved herself beyond my wildest imagination, and in my entire time at NMU, I have to say she is the best ASNMU president I have seen. But now’s the time to find our next president, and I hope we can find someone as strong as Russell.

Since Russell started, her primary concern has been students. Taking a job as a secretary in order to be paid and be available for students, Russell did what she could to bypass the unfortunate fact that the president’s position is no longer a paid position. She found a way to be there for the students in a way that the former president felt was too difficult to do.

Russell has also remained vigilant on her promise to students when she ran last year that ASNMU should not be paying to send students to a state congressional rally. As it has come up in recent meetings, Russell has expressed her concern and has gone so far as to send an e-mail to all students, asking them what they prefer. This outspokenness on behalf of students and the follow through on what she ran on last year is a prime example of how Russell is stepping up for students.

Furthermore, she created the Dining Services Committee to provide input on what students would like to see from their food dispensary. She has been instrumental in filling the board and has encouraged board members to be more proactive for their constituents. These initiatives are fantastic for someone who has had to step up mid-year and take the reigns

But Russell’s time as president is limited. And it is my hope that we don’t return to the days of an ASNMU that isn’t recognized by the majority of the university and that doesn’t address the interests and needs of the students. Russell is a straightforward and level-headed leader, she doesn’t play games and she is entirely transparent in her actions as president – anyone who has dealt with her is aware of that.

The election committee is already in place for next year’s ASNMU board and executive board, and we would be lucky to have someone as president, or even vice president, as competent as Russell. She wasn’t someone who had experience on ASNMU before she ran, so that should be indication enough that anyone who feels that they could do a good job should apply. Positions run the gamut from president or vice president to any campus representative. Each position holds a specific importance for students.

ASNMU has a lot of potential at Northern, and it’s important that the people who run have innovative and exciting ideas for how to better represent the student body.

Anyone who feels that they could bring a breath of fresh air to ASNMU should consider applying. The more options that we have when we hit the polls in April, the more likely we are to find the right person for the job.