New ASUM leaders bring experience, passion to jobs

During their freshman year, ASUM President Trevor Hunter and Vice President Siri Smillie were part of the same first-year interest group. They both lived on the fourth floor of Knowles Hall. But it wasn’t until January 2008 that they spoke to each other for the first time. 
Hunter interviewed Smillie for a position on the ASUM Senate at the start of the spring semester and was impressed by her legislative experience. She’d worked on several legislative campaigns, including that of her mother, Margaret MacDonald, a candidate in House District 54 in Billings.
In 2007, Smillie lobbied in Helena with Montana Conservation Voters. She spent last fall in Washington, D.C., as an intern with the Senate Finance Committee.
Hunter had been involved in ASUM since he was a freshman. He felt that Smillie’s knowledge of state and national legislative issues, coupled with his experience on ASUM

created an ideal balance. Two weeks after he interviewed Smillie, he asked her to be his vice-presidential running mate. Three months later, in April 2008, they won the ASUM election by 274 votes.
Now, as they start their senior years at UM, leading the student senate,t they communicate constantly. They spend their spare time between classes in the same wing of the UC — the ASUM offices. And they’ve collaborated on plans for the future of ASUM. 
“We both have a vision and a passion for student involvement,” Hunter said.
Hunter, 21, is from Kalispell and Smillie, also 21, is from Billings, but both stayed in Missoula over the summer, which helped them prepare for the upcoming year.
“Never in recent history have both executives been in town at the same time (for a summer),” Hunter said.
They focused much of their attention on networking with local delegates, along with filling committee positions, working on the ASUM Web site, and planning upcoming events, including a rally to raise money for Montana colleges and a gubernatorial debate. They also made a presence at freshman orientations by meeting newcomers, passing out fliers and registering students to vote.
Hunter and Smillie said they place registering and informing voters among their key goals for ASUM this fall. They plan to create voter guides and hope to bring students’ attention to the 6-mill levy, a referendum that appears on Montana ballots every ten years with the purpose of raising money for the eleven colleges in Montana.
Increasing student involvement in ASUM is central to the goals Hunter and Smillie have set for the upcoming year. They say getting students involved will mean they are more likely to graduate.
“It gives them a sense of ownership of this campus,” said Hunter.
Their efforts include an outreach program, aiming to get students more involved in such agencies as ASUM Transportation and UM Productions.
They also plan to hold workshops to help new student groups or groups that want to grow with planning, public relations, recruitment and budgeting. The first will be Thursday, Sept. 11 in UC 330 and is open to all students. 
Other workshops will focus on civic engagement and lobbying. Hunter and Smillie hope that they will be able to take some of the students from these workshops to the legislative session in Helena.
Most of their time is dedicated to ASUM, but Hunter and Smillie are involved in other activities on campus as well. Hunter has coached legislative debate at Sentinel High School, and has been involved in Russian Club and Model UN.
Smillie is teaching a FIG seminar this semester. She is also a member of the flute choir, Advocates and the Honors College Advisory Council.
Smillie says that her family likely played a role in her interest in politics. Both of her parents are community organizers.
“Growing up, that’s what the conversation was at the dinner table,” she said.
alison.maier@umontana.edu