Those walking into the Associated Students office in the middle of July

may expect to hear the sounds of crickets chirping, as only a small

percentage of CSUN students take summer classes every year.

Instead, the office reflects a family gathering, with laughter and

familiar faces showing up as constantly as the ringing of the office’s

phone.

One of the familiar faces, that of newly elected A.S. vice president

Safa Sajadi, greets everyone she sees as she walks to her office to

start her day.

‘?It’s a family environment here,’ Sajadi said.

Sajadi, senior political science and religious studies major, and

Chad Charton, senior business major, won the A.S. vice-presidency and

presidency, respectively, in May.

Charton and Sajadi’s expectations of a busy, hard-working summer

were accurate.

‘?I am having a blast interacting with the few students who are on

campus and working with our incoming student leadership as we plan for

this next year,’ Charton said, who added that the summer months have

been characterized for A.S. by planning, projecting and forecasting.

Charton and Sajadi said they have spent the summer recruiting and

interviewing students to fill open positions in A.S. The only vacant

positions remaining on the A.S. Cabinet are chief of staff and director

of legislative affairs.

The A.S. Board of Directors still has several vacancies, with the

colleges of Health and Human Development (two senate seats), Science

and Mathematics (one senate seat), Education (two senate seats), and

Humanities (one seat) in need of representation, among others.

Multiple director positions are also open, including director of

disabled students, director of Greek relations, director of high school

relations, director of international students and director of

environmental affairs, among others.

‘?The process has been amazing,’ Sajadi said. ‘?Many people who have

never been a part of A.S. are now applying.’

Charton and Sajadi said they are hopeful that they will fill

vacancies by the time fall semester begins August 29.

Vacancies arise at the start of every fiscal year, beginning July 1,

when the new A.S. administration comes into office.

Also, a certain amount of internal reshuffling is done that moves

A.S. members around from position to

position.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ For example,

Mohammad Jahangard resigned as lower division senator two weeks ago to

pursue the director of lectures position in Student Productions and

Campus Entertainment, the programming arm of A.S.

Charton said he realizes the odds of getting every A.S. position

filled by fall are low, but added that he hopes to have a fully

functional board for the fall semester.

He also said he sees a positive side in not filling all the open

positions so that more students take an interest in becoming involved

in A.S. once fall semester begins.

‘?We do not wish to eliminate students’ opportunities by maintaining

a completely full administration coming into the fall semester,’

Charton said.

As for current members of A.S., Charton and Sajadi said they are

meeting with each individual A.S. student leader in planning sessions

to outline the goals and objectives of specific positions during the

2005-06 academic year.

‘?We are in the midst of planning various training’#8200;(programs) to

further complement these planning sessions to better prepare our

student leaders to excel in their respective capacities,’ Charton said.

Charton and Sajadi said they are also holding planning sessions with

many of the members of the university administration and various

directors of A.S. programs, such as the A.S. Ticket Office, Fitness

Centre and Children’s Center.

‘?What we are doing this year that I feel really sets us apart is

meeting with everyone, from (the) senate to directors,’ Sajadi said.

‘?We identify issues and map out ways to address them.’

A.S. has its annual summer retreat in mid-August. At the retreat,

board members will receive additional training and be a part of

interactive learning exercises and social opportunities to enhance

their leadership skills, Charton said.

Charton and Sajadi said they look forward to more student

involvement in A.S. next year.

‘?I’m hoping to have students excited about CSUN and A.S.,’ Sajadi

said. ‘?I feel that once you get involved, it opens your perspective to

CSUN being a great place for making memories of a lifetime, and not

just a Tuesday block of classes.’

Charton and Sajadi said they also have been preparing for the fall

semester by focusing a great deal of time changing some internal A.S.

operations.

For instance, A.S. has modified some of its financial forms and

applications, including budget enhancement forms, which are now more

‘?student friendly,’ Charton said.

A.S. has hired a full-‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ time

information technology employee to enhance its online outreach efforts.

The addition will allow students to submit some finance forms online,

as well as move A.S. closer to the possibility of future online student

body elections.