Associated Students of ASU President Mike Leingang announced Tuesday that the candidates for the executive vice president position have been narrowed to three students.
The vice president seat has been vacant in student government since late October when Brian Buck was forced to leave the office as part of his University-sanctioned punishment for participation in "Shane's World #29: Frat Row Scavenger Hunt 3" filmed on campus in 2001. Buck is no longer allowed to hold a campus job, was forced to write an apology to Student Affairs and must complete 100 hours of community service.
Leingang said the three candidates who stood out among the 27 applicants are Michael Komenda, a political science and economics junior; Eddie Ableser, a counseling graduate student; and Luke Jana, a political science and justice studies junior.
"They were chosen because of their ideas and knowledge of the system [of ASASU]," Leingang said.
The original applicants, from students both outside and within ASASU, were narrowed down to 12 and interviewed by a selection committee Friday.
The 10-person selection committee was composed of ASASU workers in non-elected positions and members of campus organizations like Devils Advocates, REACH and Habitat for Humanity.
The position of executive vice president entails conducting senate meetings, appropriating funds to and organizing programs for the college councils and campus organizations.
Leingang said the committee couldn't narrow the applicants down to just one student, so they recommended three.
"We interviewed a lot of quality people," he said. "There was no clear-cut finalist."
The presidents of the 11 college councils, whom the executive vice president deals closely with, will make the final decision after they interview the finalists Thursday.
The interviews, which the executive board and selection committee are invited to, will focus on what the candidates plan for office.
Komenda is currently the assistant government relations director for ASASU and the vice president of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences college council.
"I have the resources and the know-how," Komenda said. "I've worked with a lot of organizations and with creating and restoring organizations."
Komenda said that college councils have struggled in the past, but the new ASASU constitution has given the councils a larger budget and more responsibility. Since he has a working knowledge of these groups, he said he would be an asset in leading them.
Ableser was the chief-of-staff to former Executive and Graduate Affairs Vice President Paul Peterson and was unavailable for comment.
Jana is a Vice President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and helped re-draft the Sonora Residence Hall constitution. He is also the president of Sonora's Hall Council.
He said he was planning on running for the position next semester and saw this as a good opportunity to get a head start.
"I feel that I have a grasp on what needs to happen for the organization to move forward in a positive direction," Jana said.
Jana said he wants to connect with off-campus groups, as well as restore the reputation of the Greek system.
"Recently it's been kind of down, and we haven't gotten the positive recognition that some organizations deserve," Jana said.
Leingang said the new vice president would be announced Friday, pending approval by the Senate on Tuesday.
"[We're looking for] somebody who is a bridge builder and will work with all the groups on campus," Leingang said. "Somebody who knows how to run a meeting and is committed to college council growth."
Reach the reporter at megan.rudebeck@asu.edu.
