Brian Miske
An ASI “I Voted” sticker, which has been given to students when they have voted in the ASI elections.
Voting isn’t just for November. This week, online and in-person students will have the chance to choose next year’s student leaders in the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Board of Directors election. But with many unsure of what ASI actually does, it’s unclear how many will show up to vote.
On April 16 and April 17th, students will be able to vote for a new ASI board of directors. According to the ASI student government website, “ASI Student Government represents the student body and defends its interests when working with faculty, campus administrators, and government officials.” This year’s ballot has a number of competitive and noncompetitive races, with 22 overall candidates running for 11 positions.
While the ASI student government at CSU Stanislaus plays a significant role in its college community, many students do not participate in the voting process. Some Stan State students do not even know what ASI is or does.
Vanessa Romero (Junior, Child Development) says that when she thinks of ASI, she thinks of the students in the quad on Warrior Wednesday setting up the “entertainment.”
Romero shared, “I think of the Warrior Day that they set up, they do everything for Warrior Welcome when new students are coming in. They host the fun events.”
When asked if she planned to vote, Romero replied,
“If I were to vote for a candidate, it’d have to be someone who is really going to represent the students and is really going to be a strong voice for us and speak up when things seem irritating or things just aren’t really going well or are lacking in certain ways. I feel like I would want someone that’s going to really speak up for us and for everyone, you know?” Romero shared.
Hanna Flora (Junior, History) also felt out of the loop with the news of the ASI election. She stated that she would most likely not be voting this year. “I didn’t really know that there was an election until I saw a little sign out there, but I don’t know much about it.”
Flora says, “I don’t really know what their scope or reach could possibly be. Something that’s important to me is our classes. Right now, with the budget cuts, we’re losing classes. And professors are kind of getting the end of the stick. So I guess for me, I would vote for somebody who would work with the professors to fight for our classes, our majors, and our programs that are beat and cut. That’s really important right now.”
Vikash Prakash (Junior, Social Science) is one of the candidates running for ASI Vice President and shared why he is running. He has been involved on campus as an active member of ASI for almost two academic school years. Through tabling events and exposure to the relationship ASI has with students, he feels he has gained knowledge of the various issues and concerns that students were dealing with. As an advocate for Project Rebound, he believes that access to education must be a reality for all.
Prakash says, “If elected as Vice President, I hope to address the rising costs of being a student. As you may be aware, with the expensive parking permits and increasing cost of living, tuition, and student fees, it has become very difficult for students to access and afford higher education. As a result, I would invest in student financial support by advocating for more scholarships and advocating for parking permits, and textbook grants. By advocating for these initiatives, I hope to reduce the overall cost of attendance and ease some of the financial burdens students face.”
Prakash believes that Stan State belongs to the students. He says, “Ultimately, when students invest their time and money in this institution, they deserve leaders who will ensure the university serves their interests and works for them. I plan on ensuring this through dedication, passion, problem-solving, and allegiance to students.”
Averie Stockeland (Political Science, Sophomore) is the second candidate running for vice president in the ASI election. She has been serving as the ASI Government Relations Student Coordinator for the past two years
Stockeland says, “If elected, I hope to provide more resources for student parents who are taking the time to complete school while also taking on the variety of responsibilities of being a parent. I want to make resources more accessible and to remove those barriers from finishing school.”
Stockeland believes that students need to be more involved in the decision-making processes alongside faculty, campus administrators, and government officials.
“Providing feedback in general also helps guide decisions in the direction that best fits the students,” she said.
Stockland’s goal is to be the student’s messenger that takes information back to the ASI board.
Michael Angel (Senior, Liberal Studies) is running for the position of Vice President of Finance. He currently holds the ASI board position of Director, Student Organizations. Angel shared that he has already helped to address the needs of students by having conversations with UPD in order to obtain a better camera for the quad.
Angel shared what he hopes to do if elected, “Some things I hope to accomplish within my time is creating a scholarship for students looking to complete their credential or master’s programs here at Stan State since there is a lack of financial support for students receiving higher education, and it also encourages students to come back to the University. I want to look into getting student organizations more funding for their student accounts so they can do more on-campus events. Lastly, I want to look into getting more food spots open, either reopening the MSR café or the DBH café to provide support for both students and staff.”
Andrew Beck (Sophomore, Accounting) is another candidate running for Vice President of Finance. He hasn’t been involved with ASI before but believes running is his way of stepping up and contributing in a more direct and meaningful way. He feels his outside perspectives is something he can bring to ASI. “One that isn’t tied to how things have always been done.”
Beck shared his goals if elected. One of them is to help students better understand where their ASI fees are going. “I’d accomplish this by pushing for the creation of easy-to-read budget summaries shared regularly with students and setting up digital feedback forms and in-person forums where students can directly suggest funding priorities.”
Beck shared he is focused on helping student organizations with funding. “I want to empower student organizations to be more vocal and better informed about the funding process. That means working with ASI to simplify the funding application process, holding optional info sessions or drop-in Q&As for org leaders, and creating a short, clear funding guide that explains everything they need to know.”
Andrea Garcia (Biological Science, Sophomore) is running for the Director, College of Science. Like some of the other candidates, she wants to create a more social campus. She says, “I feel that hasn’t been done yet and this school really needs to connect more like they used to in the early 2000’s!” Her goal is to connect with students on a more personal level.
She explains, “As a STEM major, I know we can be a bit awkward, and it’s okay as long as you have that attitude to want to get out there. I want to be a change in how we come to the College of Science. People believe the stereotype that we keep to ourselves, go to class, and just go home.”
Garcia makes the point that there can be quarrels in the ASI government. She is a member of the Phi Mu Sorority, where the girls do not always agree, but she understands it’s important to always find a middle ground in all disagreements.
Rubi Jimenez (Junior, Theater Arts and Spanish) is another candidate entering the ASI election race as she runs for Director, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. As the past president of the theater club, she says, “We often put more emphasis on the breadwinner careers, and often the arts and humanities are left behind. I think students should vote for me because I am always listening and making sure those who have an idea or have an issue are heard.”
This year, there is only one candidate for ASI President, Eryka Lepper (Senior, Business Management). She shared, “My focus will be on three key areas: enhancing campus resources, building a stronger sense of community, and prioritizing student mental health. I want to bridge the communication gap between students and administration to ensure students are always informed about systemwide decisions that affect them.”
In talking to the candidates, a common theme emerged of listening to students, addressing their concerns, and representing underrepresented groups. To learn more about all the candidates, you can check them out on the ASI election website.
The Signal reached out to all of the candidates for comment; we heard back from those above in time for publication.
The other candidates running are Manny Delgadillo, running for Vice President of Finance. Jonathan Madrigal, Alnagdi Mohsen and Shivneil Pal are the other candidates running for the positions of Director, College of Sciences. Candidates for Director, Diversity include Hannah Esquivel, Josiah Killian and Tory Sumbler. Jayden Betbabanta is the only candidate for Director, College of Business Administration.
Juan Macias is the only candidate for Director, Student Organization. Deyanira Zapata is the only candidate for Director, Housing and Residential Life. Jason Cibull is the only candidate for Director, Athletics. Jimenez is not the only candidate running for Director, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Daniel Munoz, Jaskaran Dhillon and Farrah Fathi are also running.
Alisha Siebler is the only candidate for Director, Graduate Students, she currently serves in the position and is running for reelection. There are no candidates for the Director, Stockton campus position.
If you would like to vote online, online polls will open – Wednesday, April 16th at 8:00 am and they close on Thursday, April 17th at 6:00 pm. You must be currently enrolled at Stan State to vote. Check your Stan State email for the BigPulse link to enter our online poll. Your ballot will be emailed to your Stan State account. You can vote from any computer or device.
If you plan to vote in person at the Stanislaus State campus, the in-person polls are located in the Library Event Hall Room 102. It will be open on Wednesday, April 16th & Thursday, April 17th from 8:00am – 6:00pm You must bring your Warrior ID.