In an 8-2 vote, The Criterion editorial board has decided to endorse Adrienne Barlow and Blake Schafer for the Associated Student Government President/Vice President ticket.

With the upcoming biannual budget, experience is an important factor in whom to elect. The biannual budget controls who gets money from student fees and whether or not student fees are raised. In 2010, Barlow represented the Montrose campus on the budgeting committee that oversaw the last biannual budget. Student fees weren’t raised, and student organizations saw an unprecedented influx of funds. Barlow is ASG Vice President, and her and Schafer are running against Telbe Storbeck and Ariel Diamond.

Barlow is the only candidate on either ticket with experience in the massive undertaking that is the biannual budget. She also has a track record of fiscal responsibility. Barlow has been outspoken against reckless spending, and has also been an outspoken supporter of funding to beneficial programs like MavRides. She has also spearheaded incredible programs like the Safety Walk and PostSecret.

Barlow, as ASG Vice President, had active involvement in marketing the name change. She’s proven that she can handle administrative positions in ASG during a time of unprecedented growth. She also pushed for an internal restructuring of the ASG senate to better reflect the increasing student population.

Her background as a campus Resident Assistant also gives her direct access to the pulse of the student body. She constantly interacts with the students, and has a good idea of what they want.

For all the external assets that Barlow brings to the table, Schafer offers numerous improvements to the internal structure of ASG. As the current Chief of Staff, Schafer has experience with structuring ASG meetings. Schafer plan to market ASG as an open-door organization, where students are aware of meetings and locations, is a welcome change for The Criterion. In the past, meetings have been kept open only because of Sunshine Laws (what keeps public meetings open to the public), rather than a genuine attempt at marketing ASG to the public.

ASG is a very, very important organization with a big marketability problem. It’s important to promote ASG while still having a sharp eye on the biannual. It’s a year where experience is needed and Barlow and Schafer have all the tools to both internally and externally improve ASG. They are the ticket that ASG needs to reach its full potential.