Vaden, White 'take a shot' at IUSA offices

Two influential IU freshmen are hoping to expand their game from the hardwood to student government.\nFreshmen basketball players Robert Vaden and D.J. White are running for IU Student Association Congress in the University Division for the Kirkwood ticket.\nAdding more intrigue is Maggie Daniels, Gov. Mitch Daniels' daughter and IU freshman, who also is running for University Division representative for Kirkwood. There are six University Division representatives; Vaden, White and Daniels are three of Kirkwood's six candidates.\nVaden said Daniels convinced him to run for IUSA. Daniels and Vaden knew each other when they both attended Indianapolis' Cathedral High School. Vaden later transferred to Pike High School in Indianapolis before attending Bridgton Academy in Maine.\n"My friend, Maggie Daniels, said it would be a good thing to do," Vaden said. "So I decided to do it."\nAs of last week, Vaden said he hadn't asked IU coach Mike Davis yet for approval of his and White's campaigns. \nWhite also came into the IUSA picture because of Daniels. Vaden and White are roommates, and Daniels said she went to their dorm room to speak to Vaden about running. Daniels said White, overhearing the conversation, started asking questions and eventually joined the ticket.\nDaniels said she would have asked White directly if she had known him personally like she did Vaden.\nIf elected, basketball would take priority if a time conflict occurred for Vaden or White, Daniels said.\n"I made it pretty clear that basketball would and always will be their first priority," Daniels said. "We would never ask them to do something to interrupt their basketball activities. That comes first."\nCongressional members' time commitments include congress meetings two times a month, Kirkwood presidential candidate Bryan Strawbridge said. After awhile members are appointed to various committees. Once on the committee, the members are expected to investigate how they can represent their constituents in the best way. Members also vote on resolutions in the meetings. \nThe Connect ticket said they would not question the motives of students wanting to participate in student government. But they did express reservations about students with other time commitments being able to commit fully to their congressional duties.\nConnect cited a current IUSA administration policy stating that if any member of congress misses three congressional meetings, he or she would be subject to a vote for removal. If elected, Connect said they would continue that policy.\nWhite and Vaden's campaign is not contingent on the Kirkwood ticket's success. If White and Vaden win and the Kirkwood ticket loses, White and Vaden still would hold the seats.\nIUSA controls a $170,000 budget. Elections are Feb. 22 and 23.\nDaniels said part of her rationale for asking Vaden and eventually White to join the campaign was adding diversity, including student athletes, to the Kirkwood ticket.\nStrawbridge said he's thrilled Vaden and White are running on the Kirkwood ticket.\n"I'm just so excited that these guys are going to represent us and shed some light on what IUSA does and what Kirkwood is trying to accomplish," Strawbridge said.\nVaden said after basketball practice last week that he's not preparing any acceptance speech yet.\n"I guess if I get elected, I'll have to give one," Vaden said smiling.\n-- Contact Staff Writer John Rodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu.