Buses to airports, Rihanna-caliber stars for Lawnparties top Miller’s USG agenda

Currently a senator on the USG, Matt Miller '19 is one of three candidates running to lead the organization in this week's elections. Here, Matt sits down with The Tab to discuss his Princeton experience, visions, and thoughts on the election.

What is your most significant personal experience since coming to Princeton?

My most memorable, heart-warming memory at Princeton comes from last year when my younger sister visited the campus as a prospective student. I was surprised and in awe when the place that I call home welcomed my sister so endearingly. She received a warm welcome from the rowing team at Princeton, and that for me is just one of the examples of what an awesome place Princeton can be.

What are your top three items on the agenda if elected USG president?

My first priority is to increase campus inclusivity. I think that USG team falls into similar social circles. As an athlete on the USG communications team last year, I found myself providing the athlete perspective, even though that was not part of my job. I am involved in a lot of diverse groups on campus and I want to see them represented,. Although the USG President does not have that much power on day to day matters, they do have a platform and a microphone for addressing issues. To that end, I will have open hours at Frist open to students.

Secondly, I want to see airport buses come into place. Although having airport buses during the beginning and end of breaks is something small, it is nonetheless something very tangible that will make campus a better place. We already have a system in place for Thanksgiving buses that go to major cities in the east coast. I want to expand on that so that traveling during breaks can be affordable, cost effective, time saving, and convenient. As it is now, going to JFK airport can be a very expensive trip using ride-sharing apps or public transit. The mechanism already exists, we just need to expand it for more breaks.

Thirdly, I want to see better Lawn Parties Headliners. In the past, we have had, who were at the time up and coming, artists like Rihanna and Maroon 5 headline Lawn Parties. Recently, the caliber of headliners is not the same. The reason that we don’t have the same caliber of headliners is because the USG social committees budget is not used to the full extent. Using the surplus in the budget that we already have with relocating funds we can level up the caliber of acts we have for Lawn Parties. I know a lot about the music industry and music charts. Therefore, I think we should focus on up and coming acts, rising stars. For instance, when Rihanna came to our lawn parties, she was not established yet as a household name but people knew her songs.

Why they are you running for USG?

I served on the USG senate last year on the communication team. I saw many problems that I was not able to fix. But, from that experience, I know how USG works and how to implement solutions. I want to bring more perspective to the USG. As I am no longer an athlete, I have the time to fully commit to solving the issues that I saw.

What has been your biggest challenge in the race so far?

Ryan took us all by surprise. In a sense that was a challenge as it shifted the narrative of the race. But, it was also a positive thing as it brought an insane amount of attention to this race. For instance, the USG race was on the headlines of the Prince everyday. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it definitely threw a wrench into the situation.

So what are your thoughts on the Strange String of Events the USG Presidential Election?

I just thought it was funny how the time-zone and daylight saving was used when they were late to turning in the ballet. I kind of got a kick out of it. It keeps you on your toes!