POSITION: External VP for Statewide Affairs
PARTY: Open People’s Party (OPP)
YEAR: Fourth
MAJOR: Political Science – International Relations
1) Where do you think AS has the most room for improvement?
I feel like there is a huge disconnection between the student population and us and I think that really coorelates to a lack of ownership and that just has a trickle down effect. How are we supposed to accurately represent our constituents, lobbying for them and fighting for their rights when we don’t know what they are all about? I think we need to make the resources a little more visible, at least make a better connection with the majority of the students.
2) What is the primary issue that you will tackle during your tenure?
There’s a wide range. I’m actually running on a five-point campaign, so I wanted to make sure that the UC regents and the UCOP are kept accountable, in that we just got a new UC president and I’d like to make a connection with him right off the bat. We really need to utilize our UC Regent connection a lot more and also utilize the highest voter registration turnout. I also really want to fight for increased financial aid, which is going to take a lot of hard work and strategic lobbying. One issue I want to work on is the Return to Aid Program. Another one is diversity and accessibility. Diversity is going to better the experience everyone has here, increase their education, insure that you are a worldly and well-informed citizen and it is going to make you a better person because of it. Accesibility to help the diversity happen isn’t really here. I think two things we should focus on are standardized UC admissions policies and fighting for institutionalized academic preparation funding.
3) While UCSB has the highest per capita of registered students voters of any US university, only 21.95% of undergraduates participated in last year’s AS Elections. What do you think accounts for this difference in energy?
Why should students vote and how will you encourage them to do so? One of the things we pushed for was getting people to register to vote. It was sort of our ammunition, if you will, when we went to lobby. And you’re right, we get a ton of people to vote but in the AS elections, no one really votes. I think that ties into one of my points, that there is a lack of ownership here. People don’t really feel that its their government and that the decisions we make really apply to them or that they have a voice. I think that just really comes down to a lack of visibility and a lack of accessibility to our resources. We really need to do the same thing we do for voter registration. That is, to try to really get the word out in residence halls and push on all fronts.
4) Discuss any experiences in the campus community that you feel will inform your work as a student leader.
I was staff in the EVPSA office last year, so I get the campaigns we work on and how to do the grassroots campaigns here that really affect UCSB. I worked with the UC Student’s Association, I worked with the US Student’s Association, the person I interned under is working for USSA international staff, so I already have the network built, which would really help. I know AS, I know the resources, so I’d be able to hit the ground running. That is, I worked on the finance board my first year so I get the financial end, which is huge. I was on investment’s advisory, I was a proxy for legislative council, so I definitely know this organization very well. As far as RHA, I think that is really going to help me a ton, because I noticed that AS has been kind of reactionary, that is the administration does something and AS reacts. The fact that I’ve been able to work on with policy makers here and I already have that relationship built, just as Stephanie and Jordan did. So when I do propose something university wide, I’m going to be met with support or at least dialogue will already be there. So utilizing RHA, my knowledge of AS, and the knowledge of the position already.
5) What kind of student resources that approach AS for funding do you think most directly serve students?
That’s a loaded question. I would tie that back into the pros of having a diverse student population. The more programming you have, the more different types of outlets students have, the more alternative programing. It’s just really going to enrich our community here. I don’t really think it’s fair to value one program over another. There’s just such a wide myriad of issues that are brought forth with programs on campus. It’s not a fair question. Every one has a different connection to the campus, different values. I would try to help the students any way I can because it is all their funding. Just like having a diverse student population, having diverse programming and student resources…just as important.
Fees
6) It was recently announced that the next UC President’s base salary is jumping to $591,000, while student fees continue to rise. How will you address the issue of rising student fees and what makes your plan the best?
I like that question. The new UC president, he apparently took a pay decrease to do this…um, thanks? I think it is still inappropriate at this time. We need to be competitive as a University and we do need to make sure that we get the best possible people, but it I think we could have found someone or negotiated something else. There is always an alternative. I really don’t think this was the right time for it.
How am I going to fight for student fees? We need to lobby the new president and say “Hey, students are really backing you. UCSA actually gave you their approval, they think you can do a good job, however, we want to make sure that you are really working with us.†And, again really get that connection early and utilizing our connection with the UC Student Regent, who I have worked with and who I would love to utilize my connection with, because that’s our voice. We also have to push that higher voter registration turnout. We need to use all the ammunition available to us.
What makes my plan the best? I am experienced, I am passionate about it. I mean, I’m here because of financial aid. I have a personal stake in it. Best? I don’t know. We will have to find out. But I will do my best and I think I’ll do very well.
You speak a lot about what is needed to be done, but as of now, what have you actually done for the school, against the UC Regents, and legislators? In order to critize the people who actually take the time to actually fight for their peers seems to be ridiculous. You are currently all talk. In order to achieve whatever it is you would like, you must follow it by action. I hear you were in Student Lobby and also an intern for the EVPSA but what have you been doing now? Right now? I have heard class announcements about sending postcards and one thing I do not see is you. I haven’t seen you make one announcement to any of my classes or even the classes of my friends. I am aware that you may be busy with RHA but there are individuals who are involved with RHA as well as AS entities. Why is that you don’t know how to multi-task and be involved in these organizations? I feel that you are really something else, in a bad way. I agree with you on the topic of voter registration but what have you done for voter reg? As someone who has an influential power over a lot of the freshman, it seems to me that you had the ability to actually approach these freshman and educate them on the importance of voting. One stupid message in the Flush is how you went about this process, talk about not maximizing your strengths and your capabilities. How can guarentee that you will do your best? How can I trust you with my vote?
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