Public commenters address EVP for external affairs race
Five student speakers expressed their thoughts on the controversial outcome of the executive vice president for external affairs race during the public comments portion of the meeting. Four argued that Associated Students should move on from the controversy to maintain institutional unity.
Incumbent Ricardo Miranda won the EVP for external affairs position after the A.S. electoral commission disqualified both his competitors Kaleb Truchan, who received a plurality of the votes, and Aydin Yelkovan. Truchan and other members of A.S. have since called for a special election, and Yelkovan has filed an intent to sue the University of California Board of Regents, UC San Diego, and the relevant administrators overseeing A.S.
The first speaker, Tatiana Valdovinos, Warren College Student Council president, said that a recall or special election would cost “thousands of dollars.” She addressed the social media posts candidates have made criticizing A.S. and spoke in defense of “the people that are being harassed.” Valdovinos concluded: “As an association, we should be attacking the problem, not the people.”
The two speakers following Valdovinos expressed a similar sentiment and emphasized the negative emotional impact the controversy has had on A.S. members. Elyas Tejeda, Thurgood Marshall College senator, also echoed this message. “Together, we are our students’ leaders and voices,” he said. “We exist to help students across campus and beyond. Let’s use that to work together.”
Yelkovan’s campaign manager and fourth-year Daniel Negrete, expressed concerns that the election did not follow proper procedure. Negrete said the outcome of the race should “represent students, uphold the constitution, and protect free speech.”
Unrelated to the controversy, Tejeda also advocated for higher wages for workers at university markets during his comment.
SSC, Matsuoka-Nguyen give special presentations
Student Sustainability Collective representatives presented an audit of A.S.’s purchases over the course of 2024-25 academic year. Third-year Amy Zhao, who conducted the audit, created a database of carbon dioxide emissions per purchase that will soon be publicly available.
The audit found A.S. responsible for carbon emissions totaling an estimated cost of $2,800,815 of damage to the environment, with the majority of emissions coming from A.S. Concerts and Events.
“This is the equivalent of driving a gas-powered car roughly 960,000 miles,” said Dhruv Kannan, the associate vice president for environmental justice affairs.
Kannan proposed solutions including carbon offset projects, reducing Amazon purchases, and investing in green initiatives. Kannan also advertised opportunities for students pursuing sustainability efforts; SSC’s Green Initiative Fund financially supports independent student projects promoting sustainability across campus. Students can apply for the fund until Nov. 14, 2026.
“The goal is to become the first carbon-neutral student government in the country,” Kannan said.
Senator Kieran Matsuoka-Nguyen presented their proposal for the DEI and Basic Needs Expo to be held on Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Matsuoka said this event will increase awareness of resources supporting diverse and undocumented students.
Senators share updates
Senator Truchan voiced his desire to increase food security and reduce food waste on campus, as well as increase wages and ensure reasonable hours for Housing Dining Hospitality staff.
Senator Isey Guzman announced that A.S. will host a World Renaissance Fair on May 16, tentatively from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The fair will feature axe-throwing, food, custom perfume labs, juggling lessons, unicycle riding lessons, and food vendors.
A.S. President William Simpson shared that he requested $300,000 from Chancellor Pradeep Khosla on behalf of ASCE for Sun God Festival. They are still deliberating the request.
A.S. Chief Financial Officer Shubham Patra presented a draft of the 2026-27 A.S. budget. The budget is not finalized and will be revised throughout the next few weeks before a confirmation vote.
