The Associated Students of PLU (ASPLU) has recently undergone significant changes, as reflected in this year’s elections and the overall functioning of the organization. On March 20, the student body at PLU received an email encouraging participation in the 2024-2025 ASPLU elections.
Lutes learned about their future President, Paradise Gladstone, and Vice President, Corbin Avichouser, on Thursday, March 21, 2024. As the only candidates running for these positions, the only way they would not get elected was if “50% or more of those who vote… vote no confidence or put in a write-in,” commented current ASPLU President Ash Bechtel.
Avichouser expressed disappointment at being the sole candidate for the VP position, saying, “I feel like I know other people who could do this job and do it well. I wish there was somebody else so I could at least prove that I was the one that people actually wanted.” With his previous experience as Finance Director at ASPLU, Avichouser hoped “to take more action on a lot of things… [and] get more done than we have this year… because a lot of what has been started is more on a ground level.”
The lack of student interest in the election has been a concern for the candidates. Gladstone commented that it “speaks to where we are as an organization – we are still rebuilding.” She ran for President to “make sure that this next generation of students have the support network and have built the skills to take initiative on themselves.”
However, following recent updates through ASPLU’s Instagram on April 2 and April 25, Avichouser and Gladstone will no longer be in their positions due to personal circumstances. Avichouser chose the Resident Assistant position due to the restriction on on-campus work hours and because it was “better for me financially.” In an interview, he shared, “I am really bummed because I was really excited to do that but I still will be involved in ASPLU. I will be able to try to do what I wanted even if it’s less of me telling people what to do and more of trying to influence things.”
As of April 26, ASPLU does not have known candidates for VP or President for the next academic year. Current VP Taylor Pasquale expressed sadness over Gladstone stepping down from the President position, stating that ASPLU is “finalizing our plan” and has elections planned for May 1, 2024.
