Hey Wildcats! My name is Leo Yamaguchi and I am a freshman running for an ASUA senator position. I plan on graduating with a double major in physiology and nutrition (dietetics), a minor in chemistry, and hopefully to pursue a career in medicine. I am currently involved within ASUA as a senate aid for Stephen Wallace. I am also a new member of Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) and a pledge for the medical fraternity Alpha Epsilon Delta. Being involved and a leader within the community has always been a priority for me, and I believe that by becoming a senator I am can contribute my passion for student leadership and involvement towards the betterment of the University of Arizona and its students.

As a fellow student in this current time of budget cuts and increased tuition, I realize and understand the problems that some students face in these pressing times. I propose to raise the amount of financial aid given to students in need. Currently, 17% of your tuition goes directly to financial aid. I plan to raise this 17% to 20%. This 3% increase will bring in an additional $4 million totaling to up to $22 million dollars directed towards financial aid. This $22 million is given directly to the financial aid office so it is not subject to restrictions like the Pell grant and other federal grants have. In the midst of budget cuts, the extra $4 million will not only help out financially needy students but merit recipients as well.

            I also plan to expand food services. I hope to incorporate more discounted days on food and also provide healthier options within the student unions around campus. I want to install nutrition tables and make them available at every student union and eatery on campus for those curious about what they are eating.  I also propose to expand the hours of many of the restaurants to include the weekends as well.Another project with which I hope to pursue is to increase SafeRide's response times and boundaries. I also plan to improve the pick-up situation and make sure that people don't "steal" your SafeRide.