Next week, students will elect another round of senators to represent them in ASUCD. Voting starts Feb. 16 at 8 a.m. and ends Feb. 18 at 8 a.m. Results will be announced at noon that Friday.
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 the voter’s next choice candidate.
This quarter’s group of candidates is remarkably well-qualified, making the decision of whom to vote for exceptionally difficult. The Aggie editorial board interviewed all 13 candidates and our endorsements reflect whom we feel will be most effective.
No. 1 – Eli Yani: Yani has an unbeatable knowledge of the $10.7 million ASUCD budget. Yani served as the 2009-2010 controller, responsible for drafting and implementing the budget and acting as the primary financial advisor to the ASUCD president and senate.
Even though his platforms aren’t exactly serious – moving waffle makers from the dining halls to the CoHo and weeding out communists from ASUCD – he is by far the most ASUCD savvy candidate. Already familiar with ASUCD’s limitations, he will be a voice of fiscal responsibility on the senate table.
No. 2 – Ryan Meyerhoff: While Meyerhoff has never sat on the senate table, he has held multiple positions specializing in the ASUCD bylaws. He is the ASUCD webmaster, former chair of the Elections Committee, former senior associate justice with the ASUCD Court and a current student representative with the Academic Senate.
Despite his platform to start free parking on campus one hour earlier – a similar goal that many have tried and failed – Meyerhoff has solid budget-cutting ideas and will bring institutional knowledge and a centrist perspective to the table.
No. 3 – Miguel Espinoza: Espinoza is familiar enough with ASUCD to be effective while still being new enough to bring a fresh perspective. Espinoza is a commissioner on the Gender and Sexuality Commission and a co-chair with the Queer Student Union. His work with the Student Recruitment and Retention Center, Cross Cultural Center and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center has given him leadership skills and knowledge of student needs.
His platform to pay for transportation for prospective students to visit UC Davis seems unrealistic, but it shows that his heart is in the right place.
No. 4 – Amy Martin: Even though Martin is only a sophomore, she is already an accomplished member of ASUCD. She sits on the senate table as the chair of the Internal Affairs Commission and is chief of staff to the controller. Therefore, she is familiar with both the executive and legislative sides of the association and is well prepared to serve as senator. Her platform goals, such as expanding composting to the Silo and putting Classical Notes online, are sound and doable.
Martin said she wants to represent the Greek community on the table. While there is no problem with being part of a sorority, senate already has a share of Greek perspectives.
No. 5 – Brendan Repicky: With a year of service on the External Affairs Commission under his belt, Repicky understands the structure of ASUCD. He wants to do big things for the campus and profoundly impact all UC Davis students.
Although his platform goals, such as creating a textbook scholarship and more flexible parking, seem outside a senator’s realm of influence, Repicky obviously knows what the average student wants.
No. 6 – Caitlin Alday: As chair of the Gender and Sexuality Commission, Alday has worked with senators, various commissions and outside groups. She has proven her ability to collaborate and be a voice for underrepresented communities. She’ll help the association in its efforts to better represent all groups on campus.
While her goal to create more accessible counseling and major advising lacks a concrete plan, it shows that Alday wants to make changes that will impact all students on campus.
See the candidates debate Wednesday at the ASUCD Coffee House at noon, and vote online at elections.ucdavis.edu.
Thank Osahon. You’re totes my bro.
As for all of this, sorry I didn’t respond yesterday….I was busy DOING STUFF. I will make ridiculous comments on the Aggie in my spare time (like in class!) but I actually tend to spend most of my day working.
I work really hard as a Senator. I’ve created the Aggie Public Arts Committee, the Womyn’s Leadership Conference (ps thanks to whoever explain the “y” thing, you are a GEM!), a townhall about the cut of three athletics teams last year, an ASUCD boycott of Arizona in protest of SB 1070, tabling at blood drives about the FDA’s discriminatory policy again men who have sex with men, and I’m finishing up my final project, a resource guide for pregnant undergraduate students. I’ve helped 10 interns get involved in ASUCD. I’m currently the senate pro-tempore. Even if you don’t agree with everything I’ve worked on, I think I have earned my tiny tiny wage. I hope that the senators who replace me actually do shit to EARN the portion of student fees that will be paid to them as well.
And P.S. my anger at the endorsements are mostly at the first two. The rest of you are beautiful and amazing. And it’s not personal, except that I feel that the way they are running their campaigns is incredibly offensive to everyone who works hard in ASUCD.
P.P.S. I think this is REALLY funny.
DITTO on the above comment brah. my hardworking elected ASUCD officials give me wheels when im hammered and coho when im hung over. i sleep easy knowing i got some ASUCD representation in the capital and shit.
Brews. Brotherhood. Tapout shirts. Fuck da haters. THETA XI. PEACE.
Allison also, in my opinion, hasn’t really said much to offend anyone. Most of yall are just picking on her. You can’t tell someone they shouldn’t use certain language just because they are a senator while using the language you condemn to say it. She’s a young, passionate student just like you. She ran to try to help all of us…
and ASUCD haters also must hate the Post Office too…and the Aggie…
Who are these anonymous people calling ASUCD a joke? Because to actually believe that you are either an idiot, severely misinformed, willfully ignorant, or a hater of:
1. Eating at the CoHo (or using it at all for that matter)
2. Calling tipsi taxi when you’re too wasted to drive
3. Riding the bus back home because you don’t have a car or do not own a parking permit
4. Picnic Day
5. The Buzz
6. Concerts
7. The Bike Barn
8. Most of the programs you have ever been to on campus
9. Free money for events you want to put on
10. Advocacy at the state capital to lower your fees
11. Updating renter’s rights literature and keeping the police on their p’s and q’s so you don’t get tickets for every party you throw
….There is so much more to this.
Please stop talking out of your collective anus all those who speak ill of what your hardworking elected officials do for you. If you really want to see what progress we have made for you all, why not just go to the website and look at bills passed, or meeting minutes. Or search us in the davis wiki. Do something besides sound like a redneck hillbilly hater. And yes I am a current senator…I also do not give a fuck that I am being rude, or that I am calling names. I term out in two weeks.
the aggie running the debate would be a total conflict for interest becaus the aggie is funded by ASUCD.
@Ms. Tanner – Your language and persona online is quite abhorrent for someone of your stature. For damn sake, act like a ASUCD senator. Cut the isht.
Yes, ASUCD has its faults, there’s no denying it. But bitching about it over an internet post isn’t going to do much in the long run, now is it? DO SOMETHING. As a student, and for all its faults, I’m proud to be part of ASUCD
Italics–Why do you think that it’s such a bad thing for a candidate to resign to run for senate? Perhaps he really has a lot that he can offer as a senate as opposed to being on the Elections Committee. You are so quick to judge that he HAS to be a bad person because he resigned to do something else. You talk about the the participation in student government–well, there it is. He obviously thinks that he has something good to offer as a senate and he wants to do something for the school. As opposed to distrusting him, you should actually consider what he has done prior and have confidence that he can do the same, no matter the position that he is in.
With that out of the way, I would like to congratulate everyone who has been endorsed. I think that you all offer something that’s pertinent to ASUCD, and will do a great job.
For example, Miguel, I really like that you are the co-chair of the Queer Student Union.
Caitlin, I also applaud you for being on the Gender and Sexuality Commission.
Amy, I have complete confidence that you will be a great asset to our school with your broad experience, and I have no doubt that you will continue to be a part of ASUCD and do a great job.
Brendan, I’m glad that you can understand the average student, as we most are.
And last but no least, Eli, I think you are courageous and a leader for making a statement. You have brought attention to the elections, which we all know could use some work. Students won’t vote because “regular” platforms bore them, so your platforms–although silly–have great meaning. Maybe after your campaign this time, it will make other students want to vote in upcoming ones, thus leading to more involvement as people hope for. I believe that you will do a great job; your knowledge about the budget can, without a doubt, stop wasteful spending and provide an in-depth knowledge to other senators. So, thanks, for actually making a point.
I know I want to read about what senators are (not) doing every single day. It’s bad enough having to read what they are half-assing every week.
But won’t senate and ASUCD always be a joke unless someone does something different? And isn’t running on joke platforms different? Thus, maybe ASUCD can finally be slightly less of a joke if Eli wins.
AND it’s not like the chairs are going to have to drop their positions if they win. AND it’s not like senators don’t sit and sleep and do homework and text during meetings anyway.
LYKE OMG
WOW. wow.
people. are. so. dumb.
gender neutral terms, terrible aggie endorsements, horrible gimicky campaigns, waffles, and debates aside, I challenge all of those proclaiming ASUCD to be a joke organization to run for senate and make substantive change. It’s mighty easy to sit on your butt in Shields and LOL at the apparent comedic show that is ASUCD when you dont have the guts to attempt to change the organization.
At the end of the day Senators won’t be judged on what the aggie says but what actual Sh*t they will have accomplished at the end of their terms. It doesn’t matter what slate youre in or the fact that you are using semi-laughable novelties like waffles to garner votes, the aggie SHOULD be reporting on how what senators actually DO rather than who they think is cool enough to be elected. I rarely see stories reporting on how senators are progressing on their platforms…
And running without a platform or any substantive ideas or plans or goals? what a great way to make a mockery of student leadership.
lastly, sidestepping your responsibilities in order to fullfill a personal goal deserves none of the praise the aggie has bestowed upon you. Senate had to author an emergency amendment to the elections code just to ensure that elections would be able to run smoothly after the chair left his post… pathetic.