Amidst the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, our institutions need sound, transparent governance and leadership now more than ever. Dalton Owens of the CEP Class of 2021 is hoping to fill that role as the Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW).
“The Vice President role focuses on internal affairs,” he explains. “Many students don’t know what ASUW does, or the purposes of these executive positions. A lot of money from tuition goes to support ASUW in the name of representing student opinion. My goal is to ensure that our internal affairs are transparent and reflective of students’ needs, and that students stay updated on our progress.”
He hopes to be part of a long-term, dependable team, both to fill the positions of the ASUW Board of Directors, and to bring awareness and reach out to students in marginalized communities. He believes that the officials’ own diverse backgrounds and student experiences prepare them to bring these students into the broader conversation at ASUW.
Dalton plans to use his time as a student in CEP to learn as much as he can about the overlapping and intersection of the modern city’s many communities, and about the facets of the built environment. He enjoys taking classes both inside and outside of CEP, in areas such as Architecture and Urban Planning. Outside of his core curriculum, he emphasizes the importance of empowering new students, and our reflection on our own experiences as new students, as the most impactful thing he’s learned. As part of the CEP’s Communications Committee, he creates short video “spotlights” of students in the major.
He loves outdoor adventures with friends and has taken up skateboarding as a quarantine-compliant hobby. He encourages all of us to make the most of our time at the University of Washington through student organizations. “In CEP, we have so many opportunities to be a part of our major. We can apply this not only to our major, but to our entire time here in school.”