2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Senators
Ezekiel Gebrekidane
When chemistry junior Ezekiel Gebrekidane arrived in the U.S. from Eritrea in 1995, he couldn't speak a word of English. Now, Gebrekidane tutors minority students in the sciences at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center - for free. A former senator of the Associated Students of the Community College of Southern Nevada, Gebrekidane oversaw the restructuring of the student government to achieve greater transparency while working with Abbas Tuli (see next endorsement) on financing a scholarship endowment for underprivileged students. Inspired by minority issues but motivated by a "belief in the dignity of common humanity," Gebrekidane's energy and vision is exactly what a washed-out ASUA Senate needs.
Dustin Cox
What political science senior Dustin Cox lacks in platform particulars, he more than makes up for with political savvy and sheer force of personality. There are those who are individual project-oriented and those who work tirelessly toward a bigger picture, and the senate needs both. Cox is about as good at the latter as there is; the current director of Diversity Initiatives, Cox has overseen the inaugural year of ASUA's diversity program as it has grown to include more than 500 members. His confidence, fluidity and overall vision for this university will provide an excellent balance in the ASUA Senate.
Abbas Tuli
Born in Tanzania and raised in Kuwait, biochemistry senior Abbas Tuli is a student with a story to tell - and the drive to implement far-reaching change. As a senator of the Associated Students of the Community College of Southern Nevada, Tuli spearheaded a scholarship committee that allocated thousands of dollars of private financial support to underprivileged and minority students. He hopes to do something similar in ASUA while pushing diversity awareness on campus. We believe Abbas Tuli will inject some much-needed energy and initiative into a staid, monochromatic ASUA Senate. His campaign claims, "It's Tuli Time." We think it's about damn time.
Lauren Abbott
You'd be hard-pressed to get marketing junior Lauren Abbott off message; she's as poised as she is prepared. And while her platform certainly doesn't raise any eyebrows (her plans for civic engagement and the
Student Recreation Center expansion are nothing new), it's based on the premise that there's more value in rolling up your shirtsleeves and getting something done. Exuding a sense of confidence and expertise that will surely benefit the ASUA Senate (a body that is notorious for its inefficiency), Abbott is everything one would want a politician to be - practical, thoughtful and ready to work.
Amy Drapkin
Shy and unassuming, Amy Drapkin hardly seems the model of your typical ASUA senator - and that's exactly what we like about her. Drapkin, a political science sophomore, has already proven an adept planner, executing on her own time a no-nonsense plan to bring healthier food to the Student Union Memorial Center. And in a crowd of senate hopefuls with large, bombastic plans, Drapkin and her no-frills platform stand out as refreshingly practical. Still waters run deep, or so the old adage goes, and we hope that Drapkin can bring a sense of pragmatism to an ASUA Senate that so often aims high but lands low.
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