By Emily Schuelein
The new Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound (ASUPS) Peyton Anstine has temporarily taken over the position until ASUPS elections on March 23. “The role is to fulfill the regular duties of the vice president in its complete capacity until elections and the normal transition period,” ASUPS President Nakisha Renee Jones said.
“There’s changes to try to make the elections process a little more accessible to other students and I think that’s mostly what the student body will see but whether or not there had been a resignation before or afterwards wouldn’t have mattered for the elections packet. There hasn’t been a vice president resignation for years,” Jones said.
“According to our constitution when the vice president or president were to step down, the senate has to elect someone amongst themselves and I was nominated along with six other fantastic senators and a couple of them rescinded their nominations and then I was chosen,” Anstine said.
Anstine was asked if she would be running for any positions in the election. “No, I will not,” she said. “I decided not to [run for vice president in the Spring] just because, even though I am finding out that I really like this job and it’s making me really happy to work as part of ASUPS, continue some of the work I did as a senator and really expand the work I am doing as an executive member, I really want elections to go well this time around. It’s the duty of the vice president to run elections and I don’t think I could have done that fairly and equitably if I myself was running. I made that choice pretty early on when I decided to accept the nomination from senate because I think there are many qualified people on this campus who can fulfill this role.”
“[Working at ASUPS] is rewarding. It can be difficult but it really is because you’re making a difference and I would encourage anyone who had any interest, whether they’re happy with ASUPS or not, to definitely run and make their voice heard,” Anstine said.
