The following information is based on candidates’ official statements, interviews with the UCSD Guardian and a survey sent out to all candidates by the UCSD Guardian. Blank sections “On the Issues” and “Priorities” sections reflect that a candidate did not fill out the survey. The “Platform” section highlights each candidates’ main proposals but is not necessarily a complete list. The UCSD Guardian sincerely thanks the 2017 A.S. election candidates for their cooperation and openness. 

Aaron Dalton Burgess, President (Independent)

Experience:

• President of Crafton Hills College Student Government

Platform:

• Improve transparency by broadcasting A.S. meetings in high quality
• Send out press releases on A.S. accomplishments, plans, and overall vision
• Creating an Inter-Club Council
• Integration of athletics  community into student government

On the Issues:

Priorities: 

Lesly Figueroa, President (Students Determined*)

Experience:

• Muir College Council
• RA at the Village
• AVP of Environmental Justice
• Triton Food Pantry
• Carbon Neutrality Fellow for the UC Office of the President
• Basic Needs Committee Representative
• Long Range Development Plan Commitee Representative

Platform:

• Sustainability of the Triton Food Pantry
• Make food more affordable by introducing more options at Price Center
• Provide on-campus emergency housing for off-campus students and advocate for off-campus, university-owned housing
• Establishing a bike sharing program, reducing the usage of cars on campus, negotiating with staff for them to use forms of transportation other than cars

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Advocate for rerouting of shuttles to reach farther off-campus | Working with students, staff, and faculty to have everyone participate in alternative transportation as well as providing greater incentives, and equitably distributing parking spots.
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Ensure that undocumented students are safe by working closely with students doing this work and supporting them to push policies forward | Continue to support of the UCSD Undocumented Student Services Center | Expanding financial support | Removing police from the UCSD | Implementing a strong sanctuary campus policy
• Overcrowding in Housing –  Place student advocacy to be at the forefront of campus planning among the new capital projects coming | Create working groups to have students participate in the planning process to accommodate new students and assist anyone in need of housing
• Improving Campus Sprit and Community – Support Triton Athletics to work closely with AS to increase campus spirit through the games and connecting athletics more to our campus community | Support the six colleges and their respective college councils to increase the amount of events and connection to UCSD
• Tuition Increases –  Advocate at the statewide level to fund higher education and work together in collaboration with other UC’s | Create statewide coalitions to prevent tuition increases in the future and for any recent increases | Work with our financial aid offices to support students who will be impacted by the increases.

Priorities: transportation, environment and waste, basic needs security and campus planning

*Due to a filing error, Figureoa will be listed as an independent on Tritonlink.

Gus Guerrero, President (Independent)

Experience:

• Muir College Council President
• Beta Theta Pi member
• HDH
• Human Resources
• Works with International Students at Extension

Platform:

• Unify the campus
• Create a cohesive commuter experience
• Centralized center for wellness with the Zone, CARE, etc.
• Make A.S. more visible

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Getting shuttles to improve their service in Regents Lots and Glider Port because people shouldn’t wait/walk 25 minutes to get to classes when they’re parked on-campus | Working with MTS to better improve the stops around UCSD is a must. Getting onto this campus to learn should be the least of students worries
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Working with UCSD administration as well as both the local government and larger government by lobbying through our external affairs office and beyond. | “Undocumented or not, your voice should be heard and you should be able to only worry about your studies. It’s a sad reality that this isn’t the case, but we can push forward.”
• Overcrowding in Housing – “Students should have multiple options at an affordable rate that is supported by the University and easily accessible. Quads in a room designed for a double or even a triple is unacceptable and A.S. should be at the forefront of working on continuing the push for affordable off-campus housing and on-campus housing along with the Colleges.”
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Creating a unified front amongst the colleges, greek life, student athletes, student organizations, co-op’s and more | Increasing outreach and collaboration
• Tuition Increases – Ensuring the campus knows how to speak up for itself because past tuition increases have been halted by student outcries.

Priorities: Transportation, CAPS and student mental health, Campus Community

Tara Vahdani, President (THRIVE)

Experience:

• Chief of Staff to A.S. President
• Marshall College Council A.S. Senator
• Marshall College Council Student-at-Large
• A.S. Office of External Affairs
• A.S. Office of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
• RA at Revelle
• Social Justice Peer Educator at the Women’s Center

Platform:

• Further the A.S. Fellowship program
• Collect data on student workers, develop a Student @ Work Survey and explore the potential for an undergraduate student union
• Develop off-campus, university-owned housing
• Alternatives for more affordable food, like an on-campus grocery store
• Advocate for academic issues that affect students in the Academic Senate
• Introduce summer storage lockers
• Reform the HDH housing waitlist

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Working with Transportation to secure target goals for the number of S spots the university has available to undergraduates moving forward. “Creating this threshold will allow us as student leaders to better advocate and put pressure on the university to ensure that the number of spaces available to students grows over time”
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Looking to the undocumented THRIVE candidate and other individuals who are intimately familiar with what it is like being an undocumented student for direction on how she can best support their work
• Overcrowding in Housing – Supporting the development of an off-campus housing model
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community –  Supporting the A.S. Office of Athletics and Spirit’s efforts to lessen the information gap between Athletics and the larger student body | Making the athletic games more widely known to students via the dining halls and Price Center in particular
• Tuition Increases – Engaging the Chancellor and working with the VP External Affairs at the UC level to help illuminate to decision-makers what residue rises in tuition have on the students

Priorities: Overcrowding in housing, Student workers, Food insecurity

Dennis Yeh, President (Independent)

Experience:

• Former member of the Office of Student Advocacy
• Former A.S. Judicial Board member
• UCSD Mock Trial
• Sigma Chi member

Platform:

• Advocate for the average student
• Reforming the A.S. Budget to allocate more funding to student orgs
• Create a new funding group for career-related events to support pre-professional groups and majors that are underserved or overlooked by the Career Services Center
• Start an Asian Students Advisory Board
• Shrink A.S.

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Conducting due diligence on the underlying reasons why transportation has been a lasting problem | Speaking with the relevant departments and understanding their differences with administration too
• Protecting Undocumented Students –  Using external groups and build coalitions to generate support and awareness for this issue | Building credibility with politicians, which will require a strong coalition that transcends just campus groups
• Overcrowding in Housing – Emphasizing the gulf between student and administrators | Addressing the administration’s unrealistic goal of making this campus non-commuter | Having extensive meetings with administration with quantitative studies in hand to force a response on whether they truly care for students or not
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Supporting events that the sports teams actually want | Expanding funding for high visibility and value events for the average student like Concert & Events | Adding value to the average student experience
• Tuition Increases –  Leveraging past connections with state politicians on the education committee to address the lack of funding | Reaching out to external organizations that agree with this stance will help build credibility and clout in Sacramento | Using his real-life lobbying experience fighting for students rights

Priorities: Student org funding, Campus community, Transitioning to D-1

Matthew Arrollado, Vice President of Campus Affairs (THRIVE)

Experience:

• ERC College Council A.S. Senator
• ERC Director of Publicity
• Wellness Cluster Advisory Board
• Undergraduate representative for UC SHIP
• Beta Theta Pi Member
• Campus Spirit Group for D-1 transition
• Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity Philanthropy Chair

Platform:

• Collecting data from the transportation survey to write a referendum extending the last transportation referendum
• Creating two new offices with the funding previously allocated to print media
• Expanding the Triton Food Pantry
• Ensuring transportation services are student-centered
• Hiring staff for programming and advocacy for transfer students and establishing a transfer resource center
• Publicizing A.S. senators’ office hours
• Introducing an A.S. Press Secretary

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Renegotiating more student-centered routes with MTS | Advocating for more student input when decisions are made regarding transportation in general (i.e. the Regents Shuttle movement)
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Helping Adan Chavez with his efforts to make UCSD an HSI because this is not really an issue on his platform
• Overcrowding in Housing – Although it is not his platform specifically, supporting Tara Vahdani in her efforts to advocate for a UCSD facilitated off-campus housing model | Developing an official UCSD-run housing page that provides all the residential options around the campus area
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Continuing his current work on the campus-wide spirit group | Including other facets of the university when it comes to spirit rather than leaving the burden on Greek Life and Athletics
• Tuition Increases – Supporting Adan Chavez in his organizing efforts but helping lead and support actions on our campus that demonstrate the need to fund the UC while he lobbies local and state politicians to support students

Priorities: Transportation, Co-ops & student media, transportation

Adán Chávez, Vice President of External Affairs (THRIVE)

Experience:

• A.S. Associate Vice President of Local Affiars
• Chief of Staff of the A.S. Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Marshall College Council Student-at-Large
• Vice Chair of the A.S. First Year Council
• RA at the Raza LLC
• Community Liason for MEChA
• Hispanic Service Insititution Task Force
• University of California Student Association

Platform:

• Revisiting UCSD’s connection with local legislators to ensure they prioritize students and applying pressure on them
• Expanding CalGrants A and B
• Expanding the A.S. Office of External Affairs and reforming it to increase efficiency
• Taking the Sanctuary UC Committee on a statewide level
• Connecting campaign coordinators with each other
• Collaborating with the Joint Academic-Senate Hispanic Serving Institution Administration Task Force

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Refilwe Gqajela, Vice President of External Affairs (Students Determined*)

Experience: 

• Black Student Union Chair
• RA at Sixth College
• Founder of UCSD Quidditch
• Black Student Union Intern
• Student Sustainability Collective Intern
• Office of Rep. Scott Peters Intern

Platform:

• Institute a holistic sanctuary policy
• Divest from Energy Transfer Partners, which has ties with DAPL
• Establish a relationship between students and campus workers
• Collaborate with the Student Affirmative Action Committee

On the Issues:

Priorities: 

* Due to a filing error, Gqajela is listed on Tritonlink as an independent

Mohammed Al Elew, Campus-wide Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• College Democrats Member
• Student Life Writer for the Triton
• Co-Op Union Representative for the General Store
• California College Democrats Technology Director

Platform:

• Improve art spaces
• Improve relationship between student press and campus orgs
• Work with student press to open dialogue on key issues

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – 
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Advocating for funds for programs such as Undocumented Student Services and supporting sanctuary campus policies
• Overcrowding in Housing – Advocating for resources to help students who would like to live off-campus move off-campus instead of being intimidated by the moving process into staying on-campus
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Investing in eSports and campus-wide events like Sun God
• Tuition Increases – Continuing the work he has done with College Democrats in pressuring the state to fund higher education

Priorities: Campus community, Co-ops and student media, Transparency

Aseel Sherif Ali, Campus-wide Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Customer Information Associate for Student Business Services
• Student Affirmative Action Committee Representative
• Muslim Student Association Member
• Armenian Student Association Member

Platform:

• Ensuring food remains or becomes more affordable and healthier
• Allocating more funding to middle-class scholarships
• Create community between student organizations
• “Educate students on their financial options”

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Negotiating with transportation services as well as MTS to reduce the cost of the bus sticker for students
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Making UCSD a sanctuary campus |  Expanding education efforts on the availability of the Dream scholarship and loan program | Working with local law enforcement to advocate for undocumented students
• Overcrowding in Housing – Working with administration and local landowners and apartment complex managers to increase the availability of subsidized housing off-campus | Supporting residential building expansion efforts
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Increasing communication between Associated Students and various student organizations on campus | Supporting student orgs both fiscally and through advocacy
• Tuition Increases – Increasing funding for non-merit based scholarships, the expansion of a middle-class scholarship program and UCSD-based grants and loans | Continuing work with SAAC to plan protests against proposed tuition hike

Priorities: Food insecurity, Transparency, Tuition

Kian Falah, Campus-wide Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• A.S. Fellowship Director
• A.S. Office of College Affairs Chief of Staff
• Circle K
• Marshall College Orientation Leader
• Kaibigang Pilipin@

Platform:

• Hosting quarterly town halls with campuswide senators and their constituents
• Forming alliances between student orgs and A.S.
• Making A.S. meeting minutes and future discussion topics available to students
• Partnering with HDH to explore environmentally-friendly options

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Expanding current routes and the number of buses that are able to cover certain areas | Holding the administration accountable to informing students of upcoming transportation changes
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Advocating for UCs and the state to become sanctuary spaces | Connecting with local legislators to ensure undocumented students are represented | Supporting resources like Student Legal Services
• Overcrowding in Housing – Working with administrators and HDH for off-campus, university-owned housing | Keeping spaces on campus open longer for commuter students
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community –  Establishing system-wide communication between student organizations and campaigns in order for A.S. to take a more active role in seeking student justice
• Tuition Increases – Reforming the Board of Regents, including changing their 12-year appointed terms for a more democratic process that will hold them responsible to students and the mission of making the UC accessible and affordable to all groups

Priorities: CAPS and student mental health, environment and waste, transparency

Selena Friedman, Campus-wide Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Track and Field Athlete
• College Democrats Member

Platform:

• Establish a student working group that interacts with different environmental groups on campus to pinpoint specific goals
• Increasing UCSD’s visibility
• Making access to Triton TV free and promoting Triton TV
• Bringing athletes to freshman orientation

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Supporting an increase in the number of shuttles that are running off campus | Extending the routes so that they reach housing that is outside of the 201/202 range
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Continuing conversations with administration and campus police about making UCSD a sanctuary campus
• Overcrowding in Housing – Talking to students about their personal housing experiences and bring these concerns to the administration | Using students’ direct experiences to highlight the housing crisis
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Connecting athletics with Greek life, student orgs, and student council groups around campus to work on promoting athletic and spirit events | Bringing athletes to the freshman orientation to pump them up for college | Making Triton TV free for students so that UCSD students can keep updated on their favorite Triton athletes
• Tuition Increases – Supporting transparency on how the money from increases is spent

Priorities: Campus community, Environment and waste, Transparency

Ronald Huang, Campus-wide Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Research Assistant at the Autism Center of Excellence
• SPACES

Platform:

• Ally with students of different backgrounds
• Advocate for bringing together students from multicultural communities
• Improve accessibility of affordable food
• Hold administration responsible for environmental consciousness
• Fight against climate change at UCSD

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – “Though it is not part of my platform, I think it’s crucial to improve parking here on campus to improve convenience for students who commute”
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Working with other Students Determined candidates to advocate for UCSD becoming a sanctuary campus
• Overcrowding in Housing – Talking to the current A.S. President to understand what has been done and what can further be done to provide more spaces for students on campus | Planning to work on reducing the costs of off-campus housing
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community –  Bridging multicultural community organizations on campus in order to better foster diversity, understanding, and allyship | Supporting the efforts done by SAAC organizations in order to form a larger coalition to form an alliance that allows students to feel proud of their culture and school as a whole
• Tuition Increases – Working with the administration to reduce costs of living on campus which involve housing and food for students |Ensuring students are still prioritized and that needs/affordability are considered by working with the HDH advisory board to lower costs and increase convenience of food on campus

Priorities: Campus community, Food Insecurity, Environment and waste

Sné Lochan, Campus-wide Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Athletic Training Student, UCSD Athletics
• Research Assistant at the UCSD Center for Brain and Cognition
• Chi Omega Member
• Women Speak Member
• Sikh Student Association Member

Platform:

• Increasing communication between students and A.S. through efforts like campuswide emails, seeking feedback
• Supporting marginalized community
• Fundraising for and promoting spaces like CAPS and CARE
• Improving the triage process at CAPS

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation –  Extending the hours that not only MTS, but also UCSD sanctioned shuttles, run as to accommodate students who need to stay on campus for longer hours | Discussing the needs of students with the directors of both these systems and really fight for the administration to attend to the needs of the students
• Protecting Undocumented Students –  Support the other individuals on her slate that are already engaging in conversations on undocumented students and are putting in work to not only make UCSD and California sanctuary places | Being a nonjudgemental senator to give these individuals the verbal/conversational support during this time
• Overcrowding in Housing – Holding the administration accountable on spending money FOR the students | Advocating UCSD leasing off-campus options and providing students with shuttles to campus
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Advocating for more events that are similar to “unolympics” to really unite the students, but to have the events be open to all grades instead of just freshmen
• Tuition Increases – Engaging in the fight to hold the administration accountable | Participating as in international student in the conversation regarding out of state & international students | Uniting students against tuition hikes

Priorities: DEI requirement and campus diversity, transparency, CAPS and student mental health

Miguel Angel Tapia, Campus-wide Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Office of External Affairs
• UConsent Chair of Awareness
• Muir College – VP of Internal Affairs

Platform:

• Making UCSD a sanctuary campus
• Create a chair for community centers in A.S. Council
• Work with SAAC organizations to improve underrepresented students’ experience

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Extend shuttle routes, increase number and frequency of shuttles
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Increase funding for Undocumented Students Center, collaborate with community organizations and administration to institutionalize a sanctaury campus policy
• Overcrowding in Housing – Work with HDH and other powers to create budget friendly off-campus housing, work with MTS to extend shuttle routes to cheaper off-campus housing areas
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Subsidize Triton TV,
• Tuition Increases – Work with UCSA and UCSD administration to prevent further tuition increases

Priorities: Protecting undocumented students, campus community, DEI requirement and campus diversity

Monica Valdez, Campus-wide Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• Warren College Council
• Board of Out-of-State Students (founding member)

Platform:

• Work with administration to secure university-owned off-campus housing
• Work with resource centers to increase community outreach

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation –
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Make herself available to students and work on promoting campus resources
• Overcrowding in Housing – University-owned off-campus housing, transform unused campus spaces into 24/7 study/nap lounges
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Collaborate with campus resource centers to increase community outreach
• Tuition Increases –

Priorities: Overcrowding in housing, campus community, transparency

Itsi Sanchez Rea, Campus-wide Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• MiRA
• Oasis
• Undocumented Students Center

Platform:

• Work with financial aid office to alleviate pressure on CAPS
• Increase transparency of A.S. Council
• Make UCSD a Latino-serving campus

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation –
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Work with existing campus offices (Student Legal Services, Office of Student Affairs, etc.) to create solutions for emergency situations
• Overcrowding in Housing – Expand identity-based housing
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Collaborate with campus resource centers to increase community outreach
• Tuition Increases –

Priorities: Protecting undocumented students, CAPS and student mental health, transparency

Katya Avendano, Off-Campus Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Muir College Council
• UCSD Delegate
• UCSA

Platform:

• Work with UCAB to establish better food options in Price Center
• Expand resources for commuter students
• Work with RAs to create workshops about how to go about off-campus housing

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Advocating for more shuttle routes
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Continuing the dialogue about safe spaces
• Overcrowding in Housing – Informing students about other housing options
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Increasing social media presence about athletics
• Tuition Increases – Bringing students to conferences, keep students informed

Priorities: Campus community, food insecurity, transparency

Marlie Adamson, Off-Campus Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• OASIS tutor
• Pi Beta Phi community service chair
• Greeks United for Inclusivity and Diversity

Platform:

• Expand Community Dining Plan
• Increase school spirit by providing incentives to attend games
• Work with the individual college residential life offices to revamp the commuter lounges
• Develop programs off campus to allow off campus students to socialize and create a community away from UCSD

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Working with MTS to increase amount of buses and frequency, inform students about trolley system
• Protecting Undocumented Students –
• Overcrowding in Housing – University-owned off-campus housing
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Establishing an incentive program to encourage students to attend athletics events
• Tuition Increases –

Priorities: Transportation, campus community, transitioning to D-I

Leony Cristy Hermosilla Mijares, Off-Campus Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• SPACES Overnight Coordinator
• OASIS Academic Tradition Counselor
• College Ambassador
• Activities Coordinator at Kaibigang Pilipin@

Platform:

• Reform transportation
• Introduce mergency housing for off-campus students and explore more affordable housing options
• Establish resources and workshops to prepare commuter students for living off-campus and improve their wellbeing

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Mariam Geysimonyan, Off-Campus Senator (THRIVE)

Experience: 

• Armenian Student Association President
• OASIS Facilitator
• VP External Relations on Junior Panhellic Council
• PHC Delegate for Kappa Kappa Gamma

Platform:

• Installing bike lockers to promote greater bike security
• Advocating for alternative parking solutions
• Expanding opportunities for learning about diversity, equity, & inclusion beyond the DEI requirement

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Kristiana Cuevas, Transfer Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• SPACES Transfer Coordinator
• Global Health Program Student Representative
• Public Health Brigades Social Chair

Platform:

• Fostering collaboration between transfer orgs
• Establishing and improving transfer mentorship programs and opporunities
• Partnering with CAPS and SHS to aid the experiences and circumstances of transfer students

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Amy Clare Henderson, Arts and Humanities Senator (Independent)

Experience:

Platform:

• “it is important that the Art and Humanities students needs are heard because it is essential that every student at UCSD feels equally important and well represented within the school so that they can reach their full potential not only at UCSD and within their field of study.”
• “I want to expand the opportunities available to students that study none STEM majors and in general I would love be able to represent the Arts and Humanities students so UCSD is a school where student of all academic fields feel equal.”

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Brenda B. Alvarez, Biological Sciences Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• SPACES CDE
• RA at the Village
• MEChA Member
• International Health Collective Member

Platform:

• Collaborate with biology student orgs to promote involvement & accessibility to campus resources
• Introduce a career fair for diverse career opportunities
• Working on diversity to accomplish the Plan of Action, Faculty Expectations & mentorship for underserved students

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Megan Amanda Hirsch, Biological Sciences Senator (Independent)

Experience:

Platform:

• “I would like to be the voice for the Biological Science. Ever since I was eleven I knew that I wanted to do become a wildlife vet. I was so excited when I found out I would be majoring in Marine Biology at UCSD. I would like to be the voice for the people who have the same passion for biology that I do.”

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Anika Balse, Biological Sciences Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• AS First Year Council Treasurer
• Flying Samaritans Board
• UCSD Hospital Volunteer
• Chi Omega Philanthropy Committee

Platform:

• Establishing programs for personalized dialogue between alumni, advisors & faculty and students for career/professional guidance
• Destigmatizing careers outside health/medical school
• Building well-rounded students with non-science curriculum
• Fostering a more supportive, encouraging biology community
• Promoting individual student voices to differentiate experiences and goals as biological sciences majors

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation –
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Reaching out to the various cultural resources centers and opening a dialogue between the faculty, advisors, and bio department admins about issues that undocumented students
• Overcrowding in Housing – 
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Holding office hours and open conversations with students to focus on the big issues in our department, and address them to the student body | Promoting study & tutor groups in which students can collaborate would promote a cohesive environment for learning
• Tuition Increases – 

Priorities:

• Campus community, The DEI requirement and campus diversity, Academic/Career advising

Hrishikesh Rajan Barokar, Engineering Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers President
• Triton Engineering Student Council Administrative Assistant to President
• ESW Finance Team
• Food Co-Op Member

Platform:

• Working with IDEA & all departments to have equipped spaces for project teams to thrive
• Working with the A.S. Office of External Affairs and the Dean’s Office to attract money to undergraduate engineering projects and spaces
• Working for higher inclusivity & accessibility w/in societies
• Increasing leadership & scholarship opportunities for women
• Introducing measures through AS for greater project funds
• Expanding the travel fund program for competitive project teams
• Pursuing project acceleration space at JSOE
• Developing an online platform for simple & smooth project/org recruitment

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Working with VP Campus, Commuter Senators & UCSD Transportation for higher reliability on bus services | Looking at long-term solutions for eg. more buses on streets | Growing the highly successful TritonRides (TR) program is another idea
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Growing the Undocumented Student Services and the Student Legal Services 
• Overcrowding in Housing –  Supporting the creation of an off-campus housing model similar to that of SDSU | Advocating for student welfare in the coming expansion of UCSD | Supporting sustainable growth options for the university
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Facilitating engineering students coming together to achieve high goals by giving tools and support to individual organizations for conferences, hackathons, project teams | Facilitating social interactions by creating spaces for engineers to meet and work by collaborating with IDEA center
• Tuition Increases –  Besides advocacy for college affordability, I will address tuition increase by supporting the VP External Affairs in lobbying efforts with local and state legislators so that they prioritize student interest when deciding legislation especially on decisions of the affordability, accessibility, and quality of UC.

Priorities: Campus community, Diversity and the DEI requirement, Co-ops and student media

Stig Patrick Terrebonne, Engineering Senator (Independent)

Experience:

Platform:

• “As a dedicated engineer, I just want to each student to enjoy their time at UCSD while easily finding their path to the future they dream of. If you want to get a job, I’ll provide company funded projects, social events, hackathons, and maker spaces that will most definitely increase the likelihood of kindling that first job. You will be able to stuff your resume with awesome activities as well as meet the most important recruiters around. If you want to do research, I will make sure the right opportunities are constantly knocking on your doorstep, all you gotta do it open that door! Let’s do this!!”

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Colin Feeney, Engineering Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Chem-E-Car-Project Vice President Internal
• Triton Engineering Student Council Project Spaces Lead
• Academic Connection of Engineers Member
• Beta Theta Pi Member

Platform:

• Increasing accessibility to engineering workshops and maker spaces
• Renovating existing project spaces to better suit students’ needs
• Building connections between engineering students and leaders in the industry

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Natasha Morgan-Witts, Physical Sciences Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• American Chemical Society-Student Association Intern
• RA at The Village

Platform:

• Improving current mentorship structures within physical sciences, providing a support system
• Fortifying faculty-student relationships in regards to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Promoting values of learning and information retention, straying away from memorization

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Expanding bus routes and making them more accessible to off-campus students
• Protecting Undocumented Students – Continuing to support the work to create sanctuary campuses across the UC system | Creating systems of education for students and faculty especially. 
• Overcrowding in Housing – Talking and working with the people involved – the residents | Meeting with residents | Coming up with new efficient ideas to combat this issue
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community –  Increasing the sense of community through enhancing the current mentorship structures | Connecting and collaborating with students and faculty to create a program where incoming students get connected to faculty and upperclassmen day one, creating a safety net and sense of support
• Tuition Increases – Advocating against the rising tuition prices and for affordable education, especially for low-income students | Pushing for transparency in relation to fees and where they are going.

Priorities: Protecting undocumented students, CAPS and student mental health, Transparency

Nhi Nguyen, Physical Sciences Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• LGBT Resource Center Community Engagement Intern
• ERC Welcome Week Ambassador
• Queers & Allies of ERC Officer
• World AIDS Day Committee

Platform:

• Establishing programs to connect faculty and students for professional development
• Increasing physical science seminars to engage students & prepare them for future classes/careers
• Improving visibility/inclusivity of underrepresented groups in division
• Strengthening communication between students, faculty, administration, ResLife, and orgs
• Making DEI courses to more applicable to the division & careers

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation –
• Protecting Undocumented Students – 
• Overcrowding in Housing –
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – Improving the relationship and communication between students, the administration, faculty, ResLife, and student orgs 

Priorities: Campus community, the DEI requirement and campus diversity, More seminar options and opportunities

Freddy Arriola, Social Sciences Senator (Students Determined)

Experience:

• Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán Chair
• Bi-Lingual Research Assistant, RE-LINK Southeast Program

Platform:

• Transforming the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion requirement into a more substantial and flexible prerequisite to help social science students take the classes they want
• Increasing the accessibility of internships through a social sciences career fair
• Establishing cultural competency workshops for students entering the medical or public health fields

On the Issues:

Priorities:

Vaishnavi Paudel, Social Sciences Senator (THRIVE)

Experience:

• UCSD Model United Nations President
• Perks Coffee Shop Barista
• Outback Adventures Wilderness Guide
• Vagina Monologues & HerStories 2017 Cast

Platform:

• Holding seminars led by professors and graduate students to instruct undergraduate social science majors in diverse skills, such as navigating statistical software
• Introducing a mentorship program between graduate & undergraduate students in the same field
• Creating and promoting recreational art resources on campus, which are accessible to students of all majors

On the Issues:

• Improving Transportation – Working with Off-Campus Senators to renew the MTS contract and advocate for extended hours, more frequent bus stops, and increased stop locations
• Protecting Undocumented Students – With the Campus-wide Senators, expanding and relocating the Undocumented Student Services Center | Establishing workshops designed to educate individuals on how to protect themselves and others encountering Immigration Enforcement officers, as well as workshops on accessible legal resources for undocumented students
• Overcrowding in Housing – Working with the A.S. President to establish an exploratory committee for an off-campus housing model that facilitates finding affordable student housing off campus | Publishing an on-campus waitlist with HDH | Creating storage lockers on or near campus for summer storage.
• Improving Campus Spirit and Community – 
• Tuition Increases – Working with the VP of External Affairs to pressure California legislators, UC legislators, and our administration to move away from building an institution running for profit, and on the contrary, plan a tuition centered around student resources and student requests

Priorities: Protecting undocumented students, the DEI requirement and campus diversity, Transparency