ASWU Executive candidates share goals ahead of election period

ASWU Executive Board candidates responding to student community questions at Willamette University’s Candidate Connect on March 11, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers.

Correction: A previous version of this article misinterpreted Sen. Peyton Edmunds comments on the ASWU Reserve. The Collegian apologizes for the error.

ASWU Sen. Aggie Hunziker (’27) and ASWU Director of Communication Katelyn Beissel Rosales (’28) spoke about immigration enforcement and the ASWU Reserve, among other topics, at the Bistro’s annual Candidate Connect event on Wednesday. The two students are vying for the ASWU presidency in the 2026-27 school year.

The event allowed the candidates to give a short speech, followed by a Q&A segment open to all Willamette students.

Voting is now open for ASWU’s entire executive team, including the president, treasurer and vice president, with the election period closing on March 16. 

Sen. Peyton Edmunds (’29), who is running unopposed for treasurer also spoke at the event, alongside a representative of Sen. Erica Stotts (’28), who is running unopposed for vice president. All current elected members of AWSU exec are graduating in May. 

In her speech, Hunziker shared that her priorities as president would include communicating to students about the merger and addressing concerns about job opportunities on campus, as well as club funding. She also wants “to advocate for student safety under federal uncertainty.”

Should she be elected, Beissel Rosales said she intends to implement “racial sensitivity training” for incoming first-years, saying “Willamette students of color are being tokenized and ignored by this predominantly white institution.” She also hopes to reintroduce Willamette President Steve Thorsett’s office hours to answer merger related questions and work toward Willamette adopting the policies of a sanctuary campus.

Stotts, the vice presidential candidate, was not present at the event because she was attending a class. However, Gabriella Weis (’28), a friend speaking on her behalf, said that Stotts “will focus on strengthening and improving communication systems so they truly serve students.”

Edmunds (’29), a finance board member and the lone candidate for treasurer, said she plans to address past communication errors, saying “that better communication looks like better accountability.” Part of that process would include biweekly emails to club treasurers, as well as implementing an anonymous complaint form for the ASWU treasurer.

Below are candidates' responses to some of the questions brought up by students. 

Concerns surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Hunziker said she “would love to facilitate conversations between admin and our students so that we can prevent any unwanted presence of ICE agents,” and she would “uplift resources” like ASWU Senator Ellie Kim’s (’26) Campus Improvement Project to distribute ICE whistles.

Beissel Rosales said while she intends to advance the policies of a sanctuary campus, she doesn’t necessarily want the label for Willamette. The label of sanctuary campus “would create sort of a microscope,” she said.

A page detailing some of the university’s current policies surrounding immigration enforcement is here.

The ASWU Reserve

In the fall, the ASWU Endowment was pulled from university investment and transferred to a general ledger account now called the ASWU Reserve. 

An audience member asked Edmunds if she had a vision for how the Reserve should be managed after this change and whether the funds are just going to sit there. In response, Edmunds said, “I think functionally having [the Reserve] sit there and having nothing to do with it is kind of like, ‘Why have it there in the first place?’” 

She expanded that her vision for the Reserve is that it should be used to fund “things that are necessary,” such as the Bistro’s recently cleared debt, and to increase the impact of senators’ campus improvement projects. She also said she wants to be “wary” of how much is drawn from the reserve next school year, given how much the reserve was used during this academic year. 

“We already took a pretty big dent this year,” she said.

Beissel Rosales shared her support for more impactful campus improvement projects. “If we have this money, it's worth using,” she said.

Hunziker also echoed her support, adding if students want to see spaces on campus renovated, it “is an option for us to discuss.”

ASWU interaction with Willamette administration

A student asked how the candidates envision ASWU working with admin and staff. 

Edmunds responded saying ASWU should “act more independently … not just act as an asset of admin, but act as people actually want.”

In the past, ASWU has acted more as “mediators between the student body and administration,” Beissel Rosales said. She wants ASWU to “take on more autonomy,” adding that she is “willing to take a stand if necessary.”

Hunziker said that ASWU needs to be more involved with clubs and organizations on campus. Additionally, she hopes to create a monthly panel to foster direct communication between President Thorsett and students. 

Ballots for ASWU Executive offices will close on March 16 at 5 p.m.