ASUCD senate elections begin next week on Tuesday at 8 a.m. at elections.ucdavis.edu. Students can vote until Nov. 12 at 8 a.m. Results will be announced at 10 a.m. that day.
Voters will rank candidates in order of preference through ASUCD’s choice voting system. If a student’s first-choice candidate either wins with extra votes or fails to meet a minimum vote standard, that vote goes toward their next choice candidate.
The Aggie editorial board interviewed all the candidates and our endorsements reflect whom we feel will be the most qualified.
No. 1 – Andre Lee, BOLD: Lee has something that no other candidate has – experience as an ASUCD senator. He can avoid the troublesome learning curve and put his familiarity with campus issues and the ASUCD budget to good use. He will be fiscally responsible and bring more passion and devotion than any other senator.
Lee’s plan to have more zero-waste events seems feasible, and his shared platform to improve Tipsy Taxi services reflects his understanding of what students want.
No. 2 – Darwin Moosavi, BOLD: Though he didn’t have a vote, Moosavi sat at the senate table last year as the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC) chair. Moosavi’s plans to create a zero-waste ASUCD and an on-campus bike-sharing program are ambitious. However, his experience with EPPC gives him an edge on how to make these things happen.
Although his platform to revitalize the Gunrock Pub isn’t perfect, Moosavi’s intentions show that he knows what students want. Nonetheless, his plan to start an ASUCD blog is desperately needed to help bridge the gap between the senate and students.
No. 3 – Tatiana Moana Bush, L.E.A.D.: Bush also plans to augment trust between ASUCD and the student body. She knows the ASUCD webmaster needs to start utilizing Facebook and Twitter to increase transparency. Bush pledges to go to one meeting of a different student organization on campus every week in order to learn what students’ concerns are in order to become a more effective leader. This reflects her dedication to the students as well as her desire to ensure that no campus community feels underrepresented at the senate table.
Bush also has experience as an intern at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center and has served on the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Advisory Board. She understands how to deal with both students and the administration.
No. 4 – Matt Provencher, BOLD: Currently serving on the Academic Affairs Commission, Provencher is another candidate with extensive knowledge about ASUCD. He is currently working alongside Lee to make Tipsy Taxi more successful by creating online and text message reservation systems as well as allowing students to pay with plastic, instead of just cash. These ideas are sound, and Provencher already knows that he can’t make these changes alone.
However, some of Provencher’s other ideas do not seem feasible, such as putting teacher evaluations online. The logic behind it is solid, but Provencher may need some help finding appropriate avenues to execute this plan.
No. 5 – Cameron Brown, Independent: As a peer advisor with the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Brown is in tune with student needs. He gives academic advising and social support, having a direct connection to students that rivals other candidates. He interned for ASUCD Senator Sergio Blanco as a first-year and is currently a liaison to the senate from EOP. Thus, he has a solid grasp on how the association works but can also bring in a fresh perspective.
His emphasis on education is admirable and a needed change within ASUCD. Brown wants to promote tutoring services and make it more efficient through some online tutoring. Though this is an excellent and practical idea, his platforms to increase diversity in faculty and repeal the bookstore’s restocking fee seem outside a senator’s realm of influence.
For more information about all 12 candidates, visit elections.ucdavis.edu/candidates.
