By Jorge Campos |Staff Writer|

The Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) elections are in session.

ASI executive candidates assembled in front of students and answered questions concerning the school and students on Thursday, April 30.

>>Jackie Aboud<<< 

What position are you currently on?
I’m currently the Vice Chair of the Student Union Board of Directors, where I also serve as the Associated Students Inc. Vice President’s designee to the board. As a member of the board, I sit on the Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee as well as the Facilities Committee.

What position will you be running for?
I’m running for the position of ASI President because I’m very passionate about enhancing the educational experience for all students on our campus. I am a student seeking change, and I’m ready to utilize this position in a way that will allow me to voice the concerns of all students who want to be heard. My passion for student government stems from my desire to advocate on behalf of my peers and create an environment of equal opportunity for all CSUSB students whose hard work and dedication has driven them to pursue higher education.

What are your plans if you get your desired position?
My main goal is to be a service to the students and to give everyone the support they need to succeed. This means more than simply providing a service; it means physically being there to support the students in their endeavors. I will be their number one fan because I personally know how helpful and necessary it is to have a friend to fall back on. As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I want every student to know that I am here for them and will do everything in my power to support them in their journey toward their own personal success.
I have several plans for the university. I want more services to be available to students through their own departments, such as internships and major-specific job fairs. The business department is currently doing a great job in helping their students find internships and jobs after graduation, which is ultimately the goal of every student. I also want more jobs to be available on campus for students because I believe that we could have a more successful system if we emphasized the importance of student success. If our Santos Manuel Student Union is expanded, I will propose to add a Dream Center for undocumented students as well as a larger Interfaith Center. Safety is also a primary issue to me, which is why I held the Coyote Safety event in collaboration with the MMA Club during Winter quarter. At this event, we had a professional self-defense instructor and Counseling and Psychological Services speak to students about safety. I am also currently working on a Title IX training that will be open to all students.

What would you like to see be done?
I would like to see our student government place importance on inclusion and diversity. One of my favorite things about CSUSB is the diversity of our student body, and I would love to see that diversity reflected in our student government. I believe that it is extremely important for all students to feel properly represented.

What do you plan to do about the school first?
First, I would like to listen to the students in order to understand their perspectives. I want to do everything I can to help them be heard. This is why I will actively hold forums to learn and understand student opinions and concerns. This will be what primarily drives my decisions regarding this campus because I am not any more of a student than anyone else, and these decisions are not mine alone to make. I want to put power in the hands of the students.

What is wrong with the school now?
I truly believe that our university is amazing. This institution has given its members a community that stands together and stands strong. For example, when safety recently became a pressing issue on campus, every organization worked together to combat the problem in order to create a safe environment. However, as great as our university is, there is always room for improvement. We can become ever greater by providing more on-campus jobs to students, increasing transparency in student fees, tackling the issue of impacted courses, and opening more classes so that a degree can be achievable in four years.

What can ASI do to improve CSUSB?
ASI plays an immensely important role on campus with the various services that it provides to our campus community. ASI can help improve CSUSB by working hard on continuing to improve the services they currently provide while finding new and innovative ways to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s college students. By maintaining continuous and open dialogue with the student body, ASI can play a vital role in enhancing the students’ overall educational experience.
How has ASI made you a better individual?
ASI has helped make me a better individual since the day that I became involved in the organization my first year on campus. The skills and values that ASI has provided me are far more valuable than any experiences I could gain from a classroom. ASI has opened several doors for me that have lead me towards my future success. I have been a member of the Activities Committee, a Student-at-Large Board of Directors member, the Vice President of Finance, and a member of the Student Union Board of Directors. All of these positions have given me the privilege of sitting on various campus-wide committees alongside faculty and staff. It has been an honor to represent this organization and the student body.

 

>>Miranda Canseco<<<
What position are you currently on?
Board of Directors- College of Business and Public Administration

What position will you be running for?
Board of Directors- College of Business and Public Administration

What are your plans if you get your desired position?
I plan to first make myself available to my fellow business students so they are aware that they have a representative for them. I will make myself available for any business students’ questions, concerns, comments and ideas.

What would you like to see be done?
I would like to see student involvement and feedback to increase throughout the university but especially within the College of Business and Public Administration.

What do you plan to do about the school first?
Being a Board Director for the College of Business, I would really like to promote involvement within the college. We host many events and plan to continue and we encourage feedback on what students would like from their college and how we can better assist them to be the best.

What is wrong with the school now?
CSUSB is overall a wonderful campus that encourages student leadership and actually listens to student opinions. We are growing each year so with this growth, systems and programs can always be improved and expanded.

What can ASI do to improve CSUSB?
ASI is directly for the students and students should take advantage that they have an organization of their fellow students who understand and can represent them well.

How has ASI made you a better individual?
It has taught me to become more of a leader and advocate. My position is for the students, a representative that they can come to and who will have their best interest. Taking on this responsibility has definitely improved me as a leader, listener and advocate.

>>Jorge Zatarain<<

What position are you currently holding?

Executive Vice President

What position are you running for?

I am running for Executive Vice President

What are your plans as ASI Vice President and what are your plans to accomplish them?

I want to have at least one student on every committee that has anything to do with students on campus.

Your main role as Executive Vice President is to assign students to various campus wide committees, how will you get students interested in ASI?

The main thing is word of mouth, I want to go talk to students one-on-one and tell them that we are truly here for them. Every single student on this campus has the same exact voice and it is a great way to let their voice be heard.

How will you help students’ voices be heard?

I will be there for them, The school is there for the students and I will have students from every college who are interested in ASI and bring those students in committees so they can express their thoughts.

 

>>Bryce Davis<<

What is your current position?

My current position in ASI is Vice President of Finance.

What position are you running for?

I am running for ASI President.

Why are you qualified to be ASI President?

I am qualified to be ASI President because I have been in ASI for three years, been on Advisors Committee, and I have maintained a 3.9 GPA through the course of CSUSB,

What is your goal as ASI President?

It is my goal through ASI to make students’ experience here at CSUSB the best experience there is.

What is the one main issue students have to deal with on campus and how will you deal with fixing that problem?

Food insecurity, many students have to decide whether to buy food or buy books. The office of commuting has already started The DEN, and I will continue to start ways to help aid students in need.

As the chair of the Board of Directors you are in charge of making sure that each member is actively communicating with the colleges and students on campus…..how will you ensure that students are receiving the information provided at these meetings?

Leadership diversity is very important and I have chairs at all of these meetings to make sure that students’ concerns are being voiced and my goal is to voice your concern, and will provide future surveys to know what your concerns are.

If elected, what will you do to increase student voice on campus?

The student’s voice is my number one concern, as you guys can see. I have already seen the students concern, to make CSUSB a home away from home, students should have a chance to express their concern and I will have at least one student representative on every campus committee.

>>Alex Gutierrez<<

What position are you running for?

Vice President of Finance

In your role as the Vice President of Finance how will you ensure responsible spending of student fees?

By making that interpersonal connection with clubs and organizations prior to the three week[s] of paperwork and applying for funds and guiding them through the process.