by Lisa M. Chmiola
Staff Writer
"Some oil on squeaks" is how Houston Party vice presidential candidate Jon Erickson said he sees himself and presidential candidate Natalie Merritt serving in the next Students' Association administration.
"This organization doesn't need drastic change, it needs some oil on some of its squeaks. I think of myself as that oil. I think of Natalie as that oil. She's WD-40 and I'm 10w40," Erickson said.
Erickson's involvement with SA began in 1993 as an intern for the executive cabinet. After taking a year off, the junior hotel and restaurant management major returned to serve as a senator and now as speaker of Senate.
"I've been involved with student government since I was in third grade ... I wanted to continue that in college," Erickson said. "I have a passion for this organization that has lit itself on fire when I interned and that passion has grown. There isn't a reason in my mind that I shouldn't be involved in SA."
In addition to being involved with SA, Erickson is also a member of UH Ambassadors, president of the HRM career fair and chairman of the Council of Campus Leaders. However, he said he feels his SA experience will be an asset should he be elected.
"The vice president's position in our SA deals with the organization internally. Being involved with this organization for three years, I know the inside of this organization. I can tell you how it was built. I can tell you how to rebuild it," Erickson said.
"I think that over the past few administrations, they've done an excellent job of building for the future. I see the need for change, but I don't believe in change for the sake of changing," Merritt said.
A senior finance major, Merritt also devotes time to UH Ambassadors, Student Foundation and the Orientation Team when not serving as Student regent of SA. She became involved with SA two years ago as a write-in candidate for Honors senator.
One issue Merritt said she would like to continue to work on if elected is financial aid.
"I think it's important to inform students of what's going on with financial aid," Merritt said. Last year, Merritt helped put together the SA Legislative Agenda, a document presented to legislators explaining SA's position on financial aid.
"(SA) is dedicated ... to making sure that lawmakers know that we're here," Merritt said referring to visits that the executive cabinet has made to Austin and Washington, D.C.
"Our competition has not been to Washington," Erickson said.
Erickson added that he and Merritt are prepared to give their best efforts. "SA is something that I block everything else in my life out for," Erickson said.