Though she is working to make Associated Student Government more accessible to students, presidential candidate Nehaarika Mulukutla said the challenge of a potential presidency comes down to balancing publicity and efficiency.

Mulukutla and her running mate Rosalie Gambrah spoke at a forum, moderated by The Daily, on Wednesday in Fisk Hall. The Weinberg juniors discussed topics related to their campaign, the unopposed election and their proposed policies. The event was the second of three forums being hosted before voting begins Thursday.

The pair hopes to change the perceptions of ASG by fostering a better understanding of what the governing body does for students, Gambrah said.

“People are generally disillusioned with ASG as an institution,” she said. “Senate is the only part of ASG that’s publicized and that’s 10 percent of what ASG does.”

One way to raise awareness of ASG’s purpose on campus is to increase transparency by informing students about the other 90 percent of what the organization accomplishes, Mulukutla said.

However, Mulukutla said actively publicizing what ASG does outside of Senate is not always easy.

“There’s the trade-off between actually getting those things done and telling students that you’re getting them done because you can’t in your lifetime do both,” Mulukutla said.

In addition, Mulukutla and Gambrah said they plan to focus on student wellness while also improving awareness in the areas of inclusivity and accessibility, mental health and sexual assault.

Mulukutla said the campaign process has showed her and Gambrah the significance of their potential roles on campus.

“This campaign has been an eye-opening experience for the both of us in terms of what our identities are,” she said. “We recognize the privilege we come to the table with when we say that we want to be the representatives of the student body.”

The student body will decide whether the pair will have this opportunity on Thursday, with the 24-hour voting period beginning at 5 p.m.
But as the election draws nearer, Gambrah said she and Mulukutla are enjoying how the campaign and election experience have allowed them to further connect with students on campus.

“We’ve had a lot of fun running this campaign and being able to listen to the unique experiences of so many students,” Gambrah said. “I’m really excited for all that we will potentially be able to do.”

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