What do you want to change this semester?
I have been a student at CSUN for four years and some of the things I would like to change start with building school spirit and pride that will be a foundation to making the school better. Looking at statistics that we have from freshmen orientation and the retention statistics for students, what we see is that the retention rates are low. What I want to do is start from the first visit students make to the campus during orientation, and make them aware of what resources the school has to offer. By building that communication, I think more people will take advantages of what the school has to offer and the retention rates will go up.
Do you have any plans to improve the campus?
One of the things we are working on now is taking up a program that has been in the planning stages for a very long time, the plan for the Matador Statue. We believe that it’s important for the university to have a statue to represent our campus and our school. We want it to be a gift to the students for the 50th anniversary of the school. A committee is working on drafting the plans. We are also working closely with the school administration to improve programs and increase student involvement, and helping students understand the campus quality fee and how it works.
How are you reaching out to CSUN students?
Our campus is very large and we do have many students, unfortunately some students are not aware of the Associated Students and what we do. I have been working closely with Dr. Terry Piper, who is Vice-President of Student Affairs, in trying to contact students directly. Within the next couple of weeks I hope to send a mass e-mail to all CSUN students informing them about upcoming events. Also, like we did at the freshman orientation, passing out t-shirts and water bottles is a great way to give something directly to the students and make them aware that we are a student government trying to help students.
What are you planning for the U.S. presidential elections in November?
It is a political year and we hope to inform students on what’s going on, who’s running and try to make it fun at the same time. A program we want to have before the elections is ‘Politics Through Art,’ where CSUN students can create work that reflects there political views. Also, we want to invite all political parties on campus to inform the students on where they stand on the issues they care about. We also want to encourage people to vote in the A.S. elections. We will be having senate debates in October and trying to get students to become involved and vote.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I think some of my strengths are that I am a very approachable person and people feel comfortable with me. I have always been a friendly guy and I am also a regular student. I work and go to school so I can understand the stress many students face in balancing everything. I think my weakness is that I do try and help everyone as much as I can. But I realize that I can’t help everyone and that I need to learn how to manage my time.
Do you have any advice or tips to give to incoming freshmen?
The most important advice I can give them is to get involved with what’s going on at school, if that means joining a club or organization, or becoming a part of A.S. The point is to be active in what’s going on in school. And by being involved, they can use all the resources that are offered to them here at CSUN.
What do you think is the most important part of your job?
The most important part of my job is to try and improve the student experience at school. That means that I have to work hard to make sure that people get informed on the issues and how A.S. deals with them, to make positive changes that will last even after I’ve graduated.
