Bryan Guffey, senator for student advancement, is running for re-election in the 2005-2006 Undergraduate Student Senate election, although most of his goals for the past year have yet to be accomplished.

“I never really have much of a platform,” Guffey said, and he does not have a platform video on the USS Web site because he was working on a theater production during the taping times.

Guffey’s campaign ideas last year included creating a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender student services office, which he also said is a goal for the current campaign.

“I want to be able to start working on GLBT students’ services office,” he said. “What I’ve been doing is a bit of groundwork and research.”

Executive Director Gary Broadbent said Guffey proposed a resolution to establish a committee to examine the feasibility of starting the LGBT office.

“The resolution was never adopted because it was never brought back for a final reading,” Broadbent said. “It was tabled last spring semester.”

Another plan was remodeling some of the conference rooms on the third floor of the Student Center.

When asked how the remodeling was going, he said, “I didn’t actually know they were being renovated, so I can find out.”

Guffey’s other first term ideas were to improve facilities like Oscar Ritchie Hall, which he said Black United Students has worked on a lot this past year.

Broadbent said Guffey recently requested a used copy machine from another office be brought to the USS office.

“Presumably, we will have a copier free of charge,” Broadbent said. “I know Bryan has been working very hard on a few projects. The copier is the only thing that has come to fruition so far, but I trust he will continue working on them.

“I stand behind all my senators.”

Broadbent said the current senators have had varying degrees of success at reaching their goals.

“It’s always tough to get things accomplished,” Broadbent said. “In the case of Bryan, a lot of them still have not been accomplished, but that doesn’t mean it’s his fault. Also, Bryan has been really involved outside senate.”

Broadbent said Guffey has been working very hard and has been very busy. When asked if he meant with the senate, Broadbent replied, “He’s been very busy, not always with senate goals.”

Guffey missed the last USS meeting because of play practice.

Currently, Guffey is working on a general student body survey he said will survey half the student body.

“It’s an exhaustive survey,” Guffey said. “That’s one thing I promised I’d do, and it’s taken a little longer than I thought.”

He also is looking into forming a committee to create guidelines for outside advertising on the plasma TV in the Student Center and beginning his campaigning for re-election. Campaigning began Feb. 18 for the upcoming elections.

“It’ll go better as soon as the show’s over,” Guffey said. He is performing in the school of theater’s production of “Anything Goes.”

Guffey and Bill Ross are the only two USS members who are running for re-election, and Guffey is the only one with opposition.

Originally, it was the student advancement senator’s job to focus on improving facilities and walkways to make campus more accessible and pleasant for students.

The senator also is supposed to oversee the student senate computer labs and senate satellite programs such as the Student Credit Union, Broadbent said.

Stacia V. Brooks, a Student Credit Union employee, said Guffey is supposed to attend the monthly credit union meetings.

“He’s basically a liaison,” Brooks said. “He hasn’t been to a meeting in a while. I think it’s a conflict of schedule.”

The credit union usually contacts Guffey by phone if they need him, Brooks said.

Guffey has several things he wants to accomplish if re-elected.

He said he plans to work on improving student facilities, citing the school of theater as an example.

“The theater department has three classrooms that they can use,” Guffey said. “There’s not enough space to support the student load.”

The department has 300 students.

He also said he noticed some buildings on campus have been locked over the weekends and wants that to change.

“The goal is to make the buildings more accessible to students,” Guffey said.

Locked building are “a detriment to students” who need to do work inside them over the weekends, Guffey said.

The computer lab on the second floor of the Student Center is technically the USS computer lab, and Guffey intends on keeping it open 24 hours a day during finals week.

Contact student politics reporter Jessica Rothschuh at [email protected].