Fall 2007 Associated Students Senate candidates pledged to serve students rights and to increase student awareness at the A.S. elections press conference Wednesday evening.
Twelve of the 15 candidates were present to introduce themselves at the conference. There are two slates running, Students Rights with five students and Movement to Organize for Rights in Education (MORE) for Students with seven students and two independent students.
“To make change sometimes you have to do it yourself,” said Lizbeth Mateo a senior Chicana/o Studies major involved with Dreams to be Heard and MEChA, “I want to be a part of the decision making.”
Mateo is running for Upper Division Senator on the MORE for Students slate said she wants to bring more awareness to student issues, get students more involved by advertising events and A.S. meetings to let constitutes know A.S. exists. Mateo is running against senior sociology major, Jaycynda Trifone.
“I know how to work with everybody to help solve problems and sooth frustrations,” Trifone said of the benefits she offers with her experience working with Justice Court.
Trifone said she wants to bring more attention to transfer students and “nontraditional students” and the current system is lacking in resources for night students.
Nancy Trieu, a junior math major, a first time candidate joins A.S. incumbents on the Students Rights slate also wants to increase resources for her constitutes by offering more tutors in the math department. Trieu is running for Academic College Senator of Math and Science II, she is the only person running for that seat and was recruited by current A.S. Senator and candidate Nicole Umali.
Also running on the MORE for Students slate is Ricardo Valdez a mechanical engineering graduate student who wants to bring more advertisement of opportunities, student programs and events to the “other side of campus behind the library”
“The university is treated as two different schools,” Valdez said and that most students on the south side of the Oviatt Library don’t even know where the engineering or art buildings are.
Umali running for College Senator of Social Behavioral Science II is no longer running against anyone, but said it was good to have veteran A.S. members because of the current lack of experience of newer senators.
“Lack of experience will phase, but to get over that we need communication between veterans and new Senators,” Umali said.
Umali also said an issue with the current Senate are “new Senators are seemingly uneducated” and they can overcome lack of education with veteran senators educating new Senators on how Senate meetings work and how to talk with university administration.
Also running on the Student Rights slate and current A.S. Senator Byron Baba said he is a humble servant to the students and wants to eliminate problems in the University Corporation. Those problems include buying backing the bookstore from it currently being rented out to eFollet.
Baba said there are different kind of Senators those that represent the mindset of their constitutes versus those that feel they were voted into the position and their point of view is important.
“The best way to help yourself is to help others,” said Baba a senior business law major running for re-election of College Senator of Business and Economics.
Current A.S. Senator Samer Habib also hoping to be re-elected to College Senator of Engineering II on the Student Rights slate agreed with Baba on the difference of type of Senators.
“You don’t have to make it personal,” Habib said, “Voting for constitutes. No personal opinion.”
MEChA Chair, Marcos Zamora, is seeking election as At-Large Senator on the MORE for Students slate also mentioned the importance of Senate decision-making.
” You have to be aware and critical,” said Zamora a senior education major, “They are making decisions for 34,700 students.”
Zamora said he understands the struggle for many students and wants to represent everyone not just one.
Jacqueline Guzman, fellow MEChA member and MORE for Students slate candidate, is running against Zamora, but not present at the conference. Alma de Jesus running with the MORE for Students slate for College Senator of Humanities was not present at the conference either, but provided a written statement.
“I believe we need more diversity in the A.S. Senate so that we can advocate for issues affecting all students,” de Jesus said on why she wants to be a Senator.
“In the past, I was a follower, but now that has been cleared from my mind,” said Carlos Gustavo Flores, a senior mechanical engineering major running on the MORE for Students slate. Flores is running against Habib for the College Senator of Engineering and Computer Science.
Also running on the Students Rights slate is current A.S. Senator Joy Delouth for Senator At-Large. Current Senator Javier Roman is also running, but independently for College Senator of Arts, Media and Communications against MORE for Students candidate Cindy Von Quadnow.
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