Justin Bagnall is president of the Associated Students Organization.

How long have you been involved in student government?
I’ve been in ASO now for about two years. I was also very active in student government in high school but I never attained a leadership positions.

What backgrounds or experiences do you have that are helpful to you in your role as ASO president?
I’ve always been a very outgoing person. I’m also a philosophy major and I think that really enables me to think critically about exactly what my role in the organization is and exactly how I should approach representing students.

What made you want to become involved in ASO?
I’ve always loved representing students. There always has to be someone in the middle between the administration and the students on campus, and I enjoy being that person.

What do you like most about being ASO president?
Everyone equipped to handle a leadership position enjoys having that position because they are able to lead but what I really love about my position is being able to represent and interact with the students.

What would you say is the toughest part about being ASO president?
The toughest thing is finding that happy median between your schoolwork, your off-campus job if you have one, and meeting your duties as ASO president. It’s a lot of work keeping everyone involved and on the same page.

What do you hope to accomplish as ASO president?
This semester we’re looking at a really big cut with the Auxiliary Services.

How are you and the organization handling the situation with the budget cuts?
Right now ASO is looking at other alternatives to fund student activities so that no one has to suffer cuts. That’s a huge task in itself, but we are making a lot of progress.

How do you feel the college administration could handle the situation better than they have?
It’s a really sticky situation. What I’d like to see from the administration, of course, is if they could help foot the bill for auxiliary services, but realistically I know that they are doing all they can and to me that’s important.