The Student Interaction Party welcomed only 15 students to the Seventh Street Underground last night to start a campaign for 2005 Student Government elections.

Ryan Berger, current Student Senate speaker and six-semester Student Government participant who announced his candidacy for student body president, said the overall goal of the party is to unify Eastern and increase communication between Charleston and campus.

To assist in these efforts, Berger presented Project Paw Print.

“This project will examine Eastern’s campus traditions and create new monuments on campus with symbolic meanings for students,” he said.

Berger also plans to implement renovation of the Seventh Street Underground and continue working on the campus day-care project by making himself visible on campus and talking to students about their issues.

Chelsea Frederick, who has been involved in Student Government for three semesters, said she plans to improve student-adviser relations in running for vice president of Academic Affairs by creating an online survey and biography of faculty to help students make the most of their academic experience at Eastern.

“Our advisers provide us with many resources and benefits, but we cannot soon forget the burden inflicted on a minor number of confused students remaining at EIU for five, six or more years,” Frederick said.

Andrew Berger, a four-semester member of Student Government who is running for executive vice president, said his goals include increasing participation in Student Action Team, Eastern’s student-run lobbying group; publicized his role as a Board of Trustees representative; making students aware of budget cuts and opportunities to help increase funding; trying to get more students to vote in local elections; and uniting students as a community.

“All of my goals play into the theme of what the Student Interaction Party stands for,” Andrew Berger said.

Keila Lacy, who has participated in Student Government for three semesters and is running for vice president of Student Affairs, said she plans to put a stop to the lack of action among the Student Government executive board.

“As students, we have seen meaningless and insignificant promises made by individuals who desire to be in leadership positions for reasons that are still unknown,” Lacy said.

Restructuring Eastern’s Student Leadership Council and increasing funding for registered student organizations are among Lacy’s goals if elected this spring. She also wants to emphasize Unity Week as a way for students to embrace diversity on campus and create a pen-pal system to link minority students and Eastern alumni.

Jill Ruddy, a second-semester Student Government member, wants to make sure students know where their money is going as vice president for Business Affairs. She wants to implement a program for freshman outlining student fees as well as put up posters in the residence halls explaining the fee process.

“Once we start interacting, that is when big changes can happen that will benefit everyone,” Andrew Berger said.