Rob Barnum-Reece, candidate for ASUW Director of Operations, has always had a passion for public service.

He served as head representative of McMahon Hall for the Resident Hall Student Association (RHSA) during his freshman year and is currently the president of the Commuter Issues Caucus, a student organization that represents commuter students in the ASUW Student Senate.

Now, Barnum-Reece hopes to help manage the everyday workflow of ASUW.

“I think operations are an important key to the ASUW,” he said. “It keeps ASUW working on a day-to-day basis and, at the same time, keeps it viable for current students and future students as well.”

The prospect of being on the Board of Directors is also enticing to Barnum-Reece.

“I think I have the ability to affect positive change,” he said. “The Board of Directors wields a little bit more authority affecting campus.”

The candidate, who is running unopposed, has big goals he hopes to bring to the position if he is elected Director of Operations, but also realizes he will face many challenges.

“There’s not a lot of sexy stuff,” he said. “I am not bringing Mos Def to campus again.”

Instead, Barnum-Reece hopes to take a look at the historical legacy of ASUW.

“ASUW is 100 years old now,” he said. “I would like to get an RHSA member, a member of the Senate, a Board of Directors member, myself and perhaps four others to investigate all the files – the old Dailys and the old minutes from the meetings – and see where we’ve come from and what we can do in the future. Maybe each month we can focus on a decade of ASUW achievements to find out what ASUW has done and what we get out of it. Self-reflection is a good thing.”

In addition to the historical project, Barnum-Reece would like to start project to make ASUW more understandable to students.

“I want to create more transparency and make ASUW more user-friendly,” he said.

Barnum-Reece said he is a little disappointed about running unopposed.

“I’m competitive,” he said. “Not in a negative way, I just enjoy hashing ideas out and debating, but really I think it is a statement about the position itself. It isn’t very sexy. I am supposed to know the constitution. I don’t deal with a lot of the bigwigs so it is not as interesting to a lot of people.”

But, Barnum-Reece was quick to point out that this is not due to student indifference, but rather a lack of interest.

“It is easy to blame a lot of things on apathy, but I don’t think that is the case here,” he said. “There are 40,000 registered students and one-eighth of them will vote in the ASUW elections – that is apathy. The job just isn’t very interesting to a lot of people.”

Although running unopposed, Barnum-Reece is part of a larger ticket under the slogan, “Our Campus.” Together with Tyler Dockins and Adriana Hilliard, among others, the eight members hope “to make UW a better place,” Barnum-Reece said.

However, there has been some vocal criticism at ASUW Senate meetings over the “Our Campus” slogan and how it might devolve into “their campus.”

“‘Our Campus’ is more inclusive than exclusive,” Barnum-Reece said. “The name and the motto come about from wanting to get people involved and wanting people to come and be a part of the UW community.”

Reach reporter Garrett Troy at news@thedaily.washington.edu.