University admissions recruiters spend much of their time going to high schools across the state selling their schools education to perspective students.

For Yazmin Rodriguez, the university enhancement committee co-chairwoman, seeing one recruiter sell her on going to college directed her to seek a career in the Admissions Department.

“I love selling something to (high school students) so when I am older I want to sell Eastern to them,” Rodriguez said.

Higher education, in her eyes was one of the most important things a high school student should know about.

She would then find herself joining the Student Affairs preparation program that would eventually spark her interest in working in student affairs. This passion for student affairs would eventually lead her to become the one and only candidate to become the student vice presidency for student affairs.

While she has no physical opponent, she still has to deal with the looming “no confidence vote” two other candidates find themselves worrying over as well.

Rodriguez said her primary focus will be to increase school spirit especially at athletic games even when people like Jimmy Garoppolo, previous first string football quarterback have left Eastern.

She said she plans to find a way to make Friday spirit day, and hopes to get athletic players to wear their jerseys Friday. Dining hall are also a place she thinks there is lack of spirit, something she plans to look into changing. She said she want incoming students to see a dining hall covered with Eastern themed decorations.

She would also encourage registered student organizations to wear Eastern themed shirts instead of just wearing their group shirts.

“People will finally stop wearing ISU and U of I T-shirts because man that kills me,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez planned to further the RSO Initiative, a plan that would open up more communication between the RSOs and the Student Senate. Darnell Tyms, the current student vice president for student affairs, said he hopes she furthers his plans for the initiative because he believed it would give more RSOs a bigger and better voice for student government.

“The RSO Initiative is going to allow students to branch out to all of the RSOs,” Tyms said. “I want to see it implemented.”

Rodriguez fully supports the initiative and she planned to encourage the senate to follow through with this plan that will be implemented for the next school year. She also planned to attend RSO meetings too and not leaving all of the responsibility on the senate members.

Student government elections start at midnight Monday until midnight Tuesday. Students will receive link to vote on their Panthermail account.

Jarad Jarmon can be reached at 581-2812 or jsjarmon@eiu.edu.