Online voting for the ASNMU elections begins April 5 at 8 a.m. and will conclude on April 7 at 5 p.m. Students can vote online through a platform that will be sent out to everyone in an email on Monday, April 5. Below is an overview of each candidate, organized by position.
ASNMU presidential candidates:
Bethany Beavers, junior biology and physiology major and Spanish minor, from Peshtigo, Wisconsin is running for ASNMU president because she wants to bridge student organizations for the betterment of all parties. Beavers also wishes to continue making civic engagement accessible for students and advocate for the health needs of all students. Within ASNMU, Beavers has served as vice president during the 2020-2021 academic year, as well as the director of public relations during the Winter 2020 semester. She has also served as the vice president of the Premedical Club for the 2020-2021 academic year. Outside of candidacies, Beavers has an interest in weightlifting.
Zora Binert, sophomore nursing major and psychology minor, currently lives in Cedar Hall. Binert is running for ASNMU president because she believes there are many great things about NMU, but also a lot that NMU can do better. If elected president, Binert would want to focus on diversity and inclusion, help students communicate their needs with administration and help them feel seen, safe and accepted. Binert also wants to focus on mental health and mental health resources. The mental health struggles this year has brought has left students still being expected to give 100% in everything, despite the burnout from pandemic. Binert says that everything follows behind our mental health and she wants to help students find ways to get every resource and ounce of help that they may possibly need. Binert has been a part of ASNMU for four semesters, and it is her third as the director of external affairs. She also serves as the Woods representative and an ASNMU member in the Academic Senate. Binert is an RA in Cedar Hall and previously vice president of her house and hall government. Prior to NMU, Binert was in her high school’s student government for two years, a section leader in band and a student director and dance captain in theater.
ASNMU vice presidential candidates:
Thomas Kettler, junior history and political science major, currently resides in the on-campus apartments. Kettler is running for the position of vice president because he wants to continue initiatives that engage and advocate for the student body, and construct a more representative student government. Kettler has served as the ASANMU Quad II representative for two years, on-campus apartments representative and chair of student affairs. Outside of candidacy, Kettler enjoys watching C-SPAN, wearing fun socks and going on hikes.
Olivia Fuhrman, junior speech, language and hearing sciences major, currently resides in Magers Hall and is from Utica, Michigan. Fuhrman is running for vice president because she wants to make NMU a better campus. Fuhrman says that students come to NMU because they love the campus and atmosphere, but once students arrive they begin to dislike the campus because they see the issues that are present. Fuhrman wishes to do everything in her power to fix the issues that NMU has in order to make it an even better college. Fuhrman is currently the chair of academic affairs in ASNMU as well as the secretary of Women for Women. Fuhrman is also an RA in Magers Hall and previously was the president of Attic House in Cedar Hall. Outside of candidacy, Fuhrman loves being outside, hiking, hammocking, swimming and watching the sunset. If she isn’t outside, she also enjoys reading a book or watching a movie or documentary.
Academic affairs:
Kylie Lanser, sophomore biology major, currently resides in Birch West Hall and originates from Port Washington, Wisconsin. Lanser is running for the representative for the College of Arts and Sciences position. She has served in the ASNMU assembly for nearly two full years and formerly served as a Woods representative and chair of student affairs. Lanser is currently chair of the assembly and would like to continue to work with the assembly to represent the NMU student body and community. Lanser has been a voting member on many university committees around campus and an active member in Birch Hall government. Growing up, Lanser was a girl scout who earned awards, including the bronze, silver and gold awards. Lanser enjoys spending her free time with friends or working on ASNMU related business.
Reiana Merrill, junior political science major, is from Holland, Michigan. Merrill is running for the representative for the College of Arts and Sciences position because she wants to encourage the expansion of mental health support for students on campus. Merrill was head of a committee for two years and was president of her high school student council for one year. Outside of candidacy, Merrill enjoys soccer, watercolor, video games and Marvel movies.
Joe Sturm, senior secondary mathematics education major and secondary chemistry education with an accounting minor, originates from Kingsford, Michigan, and currently resides in the Center St. Apartments. Sturm is running for the College of Arts and Sciences representative position for re-election because he has had diverse experiences with several groups on campus. Those experiences would allow him to represent those students well. Sturm is running to represent the College of Arts and Sciences because he is passionate about bringing people together about what really matters—receiving the best education possible. Sturm has been serving as the current representative for one academic year and has been able to meet and collaborate with a wide variety of members of the NMU community. Outside of ASNMU, Sturm has worked as a teaching assistant and was exposed to an enormous variety of programs offered by the university and in the College of Arts and Sciences. Sturm is confident that he will be able to bring students from a variety of majors together. Sturm is currently a developmental math teaching assistant, external affairs member, a member of the honors student organization, a member of Women for Women and is currently the president and personnel manager of the marching band. Previously, Sturm was a member of Cedar Hall and house government.
Hannah Roose, junior nursing major, is from Ludington, Michigan. Roose is running to be the College of Health and Professional Studies representative. Rose was a part of ASNMU as a Quad II representative. Roose enjoys fishing, hiking, hammocking, snowboarding and being outside.
Student affairs:
Ali Deutsch, junior public relations and political science major, is from Rockford, Michigan, and currently resides in the Woods, but will be living off-campus next academic year. Deutsch is running for the position of off-campus representative because she is a huge proponent of being an active member of your community. Deutsch wants to make sure everyone has the ability to get involved on campus and make ASNMU a channel of communication for all students. Deutsch is currently an ASNMU representative for the Woods. Previously she has helped to run a women’s awareness and empowerment club and has been a board member on both a state and public school sex education board working with reforming education to help students. Outside of candidacy, Deutsch is interested in various causes like women’s rights and loves to hike, read, journal, support local businesses and go outside when she can.
