Brown to run for USG president

Undergraduate Student Government's most vocal critic is returning to run for the organization's presidency, Nate Brown announced Tuesday. After two months of trying to garner support for his new student government, the Association of Undergraduate Students, Brown said he realized that a new student government is not needed at this time on campus. "Now is not the time for new student government," Brown said. "My failing is that I misevaluated where USG is at."

In February, Brown announced his plans to form a new government in front of a group of senators and students who openly criticized his motives and called for his immediate resignation. Brown announced a week later at the second USG meeting of the year that he would step down from his position to focus on a new government. The weeks following pitted Brown against some USG senators who called him an extension of the administration. Brown then hand picked members of the student body and some current members of USG to help him form a constitution for his new organization, called the Association of Undergraduate Students.

Brown said he was going to have the 5,000 signatures that would have put the new government on April's ballot ready before spring break. Instead, Brown said he was unable to get the signatures he needed. TyJuan Cratic, who has adamantly opposed forming a new student government, said he supports anyone's decision to run, including Brown.

"It's democracy at work," Cratic said. "He has the right to run." USG President Tequia Hicks declined to comment until the election petition deadline. Petitions for Undergraduate Student Government are due by April 6 at 5 p.m. The elections will take place April 19 and 20. After mulling his options Brown said last week that the student body has been left in the dark about their student government for too long and he would run for USG president because that was the only choice he had. He said USG must take on the task of reaching out to the people, beginning at the ground level, to inform students about its purpose and students must take an interest.

"Right or wrong, USG will be our student body," Brown said. "I do have an obligation to students- we need leaders that say we are not always right and we will try to fix it." Brown said he wants to focus on four main issues: awareness, getting RSO's involved in USG, campus parking and working with other schools to reform USG. By bringing USG to students, Brown said he believes that more students will understand how much it affects them. As of now, USG controls more than $450,000 of student fees.

"We need to make sure students know they have a voice," Brown said. Brown said for too many years, USG has passed resolutions that only affect students who have a hand in USG. He wants to re-connect the bridge with students who actually care about the student body. "I don't have anything to lose," Brown said.

USG will meet twice before the elections, the first being Wednesday. Senators have proposed several initiatives to deal with what senators have called a congested parking situation on campus. The senate will also discuss the proposed student fee increases for 2006 and 2007.