POSITION: External VP for Local Affairs
PARTY: Open People’s Party (OPP)
YEAR: Fourth
MAJOR: Global Studies
1) Where do you think Associated Students has the most room for improvement?
I think that Associated Students needs to pull more from different people on campus. What I mean by that is that there are a lot of students within AS who are sitting on various or multiple committees. There is so much room for involvement and I feel that with 18,000 people on this campus, why aren’t there more people involved? I feel like we need to be able to incorporate all these people outside of the normal AS, whatever that may be, and make sure that all voices are heard and that every single opinion is incorporated within our system, since we do represent all the students.
2) What is the primary issue that you hope to tackle during your tenure?
My main focus is to tackle student apathy and increase student awareness. I feel that through that, a lot of other issues can be taken care of. Getting more students involved will increase the number of people we have to work with and to work on issues. Educating those in our area is a crucial aspect to accomplish this. I want students to know that there is a place where they can go for legal advice and that there is a 24-hour crisis hotline. I want to focus those who will be moving out of University-Owned Housing and help them with their transition into Isla Vista, Goleta, or downtown with the creation of a housing guide. Yes, we do have a Community Housing Office and an IslaVista Tenants Union, but we need to bring these resources to the students rather than the other way around.
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? Voter registration is brought to the students, going out to the Arbor and residence halls, and taking students through the process step-by-step. If we put as much effort into our elections as we do with voter registration, then I think we can be at a place where we are happy with our voter turnout. Our voter registration is successful because we go out to the students instead of having them come to us. My approach to campaigning is a very personal one; I would like to be more active with people. I feel it would be more beneficial to the students and to me as a leader, and will encourage students to vote.
4) Discuss any experiences in the campus community that you feel will inform your work as a campus leader.
I’ve held a lot of positions on this campus but a few that I feel are key in shaping me as a leader, is first, my position as a Resident Assistant and Assistant Resident Director within housing. Because I was an RA and a Summer Start RAD, I know hundreds of students and I feel that puts me more in touch with the people I will be representing. With the RAD, I had to manage a team of 16 RAs, so I’m able to work with a variety of people. I also hold a position on the Mathematics and Life and Physical Sciences Dean Search Committee, so I have experience working with a few of the campus administrators and department heads. I am also the coordinator for the Wellness Interns, which is an organization devoted to helping spread knowledge about resources available to students.
5) What kind of student resources (organizations, events, etc.) that approach AS funding do you think most directly serve students?
I feel like each of the resources provided is important to someone, so it is hard to put one before another. I feel that events that effect the entire campus community and the surrounding community should get a lot of attention. Resources like Chill Vista and Extravaganza, work not only within the University but within the Isla Vista community. Although this is student money, we should also help people outside the campus because we are a community and share the same resources.
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 plan to support whoever is elected to the Statewide Affairs Office. On my end, I will help keep the cost of living in Isla Vista down, help make sure that parking fees don’t rise, and everything other than tuition stays as low as possible.