Kristina Bugante
Editorial Director
The Associated Students of the University of La Verne 2015-16 election candidates shared their platforms in a meet and greet Tuesday in the Campus Center.
Junior communications major Lauren Crumbaker and sophomore communications major Nicole Cuadras, who are running unopposed for president and vice president, respectively, will focus on encouraging student involvement in campus-wide decisions; improving transparency among administration, faculty and students; and improving involvement with transfer and commuter students.
Crumbaker said she also hopes to continue #TuitionTalksTFTI, a movement started this year by current ASULV members to address administration’s unilateral decision to increase tuition.
“We really want to push administration to invite ASULV and students in these conversations,” Crumbaker said.
“It’s effective that a government reinvents the wheel every time there is an election cycle,” said Eden Vasquez, who is hoping to return as a senator-at-large. “(ASULV has) done a good job with being visible on campus this semester, and I’d really love to continue that hard work that we’ve taken on.”
A popular issue among candidates is the need to reach out to less involved students, such as commuters, transfers and international students. Alaia Azarcon, a candidate for a senator-at-large position, said that as a transfer student herself, she wants student leaders to make transfers’ transitions easier.
Another senator-at-large candidate, Noah Welch, also called for the same easy transitioning for international students.
Benjamin Alickovic, another senator-at-large candidate, called for a better marketing tactics, such as word of mouth, that would let students, especially commuters, know about events on campus.
“I want to create a space, or enhance certain spaces for commuters,” said Guadalupe Galvan, senator-at-large candidate, about making ULV more like a home to commuters.
Alexis Coria, current ASULV vice president, said that, if elected senator of the College of Business and Public Management, she hopes to inform business students about the multiple opportunities offered on campus.
“The business program is one of the biggest programs at La Verne, and I feel so many students aren’t taking advantage of it,” said Jessica Faber, another candidate for the college of business senator and a current senator-at-large.
Mariano Padilla, candidate for college of business senator, said he wants business students to work on personal development and become better professionals by building networking skills, developing more scholarships and increasing the job-after-graduation rate.
Candidates also called for more involvement with clubs and athletics on campus.
“ASULV always gets funding presentations (for clubs) outside the funding presentations date,” Crumbaker said. “We want to include (clubs, organizations and athletics) in that.”
Crumbaker wants to start a club board so representatives of clubs on campus can come to ASULV meetings to improve communication with ASULV.
Ryan Gray, senator-at-large candidate, said he wants clubs to market themselves so that students know what skills they can offer to them.
Other candidates include Guadalupe Lara for Senator of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Rachel Stewart, Corenne Hall, Jason Fuentes, Paris Patterson, Guadalupe Galvan, Austin Heron, Lauren Ly and Precious Barela for senators-at-large.
Voting is from Monday through Wednesday, and winners will be announced 5 p.m. Wednesday in Fanascht Court.
Kristina Bugante can be reached at kristina.bugante@laverne.edu.
