Charles Silsby planned on helping Ashley Willems-Phaneuff with her campaign for student body president. Now he’s running against her.
Silsby, a junior political science major, said he had talked with his friends about running for SBP earlier but didn’t decide to run until last Wednesday when he found out Willems-Phaneuf was only one candidate. “That’s totally unacceptable,” said Silsby of having one candidate. “It’s not an election. It’s a coronation.”
Silsby is also running for a commuter student senate seat.
“We can’t be advocating for better student participation if we’re not going to step up,” he said.
Silsby doesn’t have any student government experience in college – only in high school. He is, however, on the Student Conduct Committee – the board responsible for reviewing cases of students who violated the Student Conduct Code.
Silsby – a squad leader in his Marine Corps infantry unit – said he thinks he has other advantages than student government experience. “It’s a matter of having that energy and attitude,” he said.
“I’m bringing a different set of experiences and attitudes,” said Silsby. “My experience is rooted in real life experience.”
He said he wants to better educate students on the current USM restructuring process. Students – as with the election – don’t know enough about it, according to Silsby.
“I wanna know when any of [the student government] were on the Gorham campus. The Gorham campus is being left out of the process. It’s entirely unacceptable,” he said.
Silsby said while the student government has attempted to involve students but it hasn’t always worked. “A lot of what they do looks good on paper,” he said. “The end net effect [of SGA] is one of impotence.”
“People are throwing money at problems,” said Silsby.
Silsby said he wanted to build on what the student government has done so far and move in a different and better direction. He said he would reach out and ask students what they think and not just set up events for them to attend.
“It’s really important to make whatever talent we have at USM, known and received by the community,” said Silsby. He said he wants to make a greater effort to connect musicians at USM with local business by contacting venues students could play at or organizing concerts sponsored by music venues.