Fall Quarter ASUCD Election
With the 2015 Fall Quarter ASUCD Election approaching, The Aggie Editorial Board interviewed this round’s crop of candidates to make our quarterly picks on which contenders are ready to sit on the prestigious six-seat table. While this election featured several unprepared applicants, including a slew of candidates who didn’t seem comfortable enough with their platforms and ideas that they resorted to reading off their phones, this quarter’s cast was unusually strong compared to previous years. There were four that rose above the rest to make our list of endorsements due to their solid understanding of ASUCD, unique platforms and senator-ready potentials. The Aggie interviewed all 17 candidates with the exception of Jacqueline Obeid, who declined an interview with the Editorial Board, and Jordan Williamson, who did not respond to The Aggie’s request to interview.
The Editorial Board endorses the following candidates in order of preference:
1. Parteek Singh – BASED
With experience on the ASUCD Business and Finance Commission and an immense knowledge of ASUCD, third-year managerial economics major Singh impressed the Editorial Board with his creative fundraising ideas for his platforms and astute understanding of the association’s multi-million dollar budget. Singh, whose platform includes bringing Plan B vending machines, free STD testings and sexual assault awareness seminars to campus, showed particular promise in his resourceful financial outreach ideas, such as sharing resources among units and looking at grants for funding. With additional relevant ideas, such as increasing the presence of student organizations through residence hall club weeks and increased resources for underserved international clubs, Singh proved he is a ready-made senator deserving of The Aggie’s top spot.
2. Josh Dalavai – Independent
In addition to his experience with ASUCD as the publicity director for the Office of Advocacy and Student Representation, Dalavai, a second-year political science and economics double major, caught the Editorial Board’s attention with his fresh and timely platforms primarily focused on improving student-police relations. Dalavai, who sees the university’s police-community forums as underpublicized resources, looks to increase the campus’ awareness of the forums as a safe space for the public to address concerns with local law enforcement. Dalavai, whose unique platform additionally includes increasing graduate school preparatory resources in the library for undergraduate students, also showed his willingness to critique the institution through his desire to increase transparency and accessibility within ASUCD, making him the perfect candidate to move things along.
3. Nolan Matter – Independent
After transferring to UC Davis in the fall, third-year political science major Matter has shown great potential as an ASUCD senator with an already impressive knowledge of how the association works and an eager attitude to learn more. Matter, who has already lapped several other third- and fourth-year candidates in attended senate meetings, shows incredible promise as a senator with feasible platforms and an approachable charisma. Following in the footsteps of other transfer senators, Matter’s main platform centers on furthering transfer resources for students including the introduction of a transfer-specific handbook and the creation of a committee to promote resources and ease the transition for transfer students on campus. With these students making up a huge chunk of the undergraduate population, including over 18,000 students who transferred to UC Davis this quarter, Matter seems like the right fit to represent the needs of this commonly underserved group.
4. Mikaela Tenner – Independent
Sporting a resume packed with ASUCD experience, Tenner, a fourth-year political science and international relations double major, is a more-than-qualified candidate prepared to take on one of the school’s leading roles in student government. Tenner, whose experience includes an internship with former ASUCD Vice President Bradley Bottoms, roles on various committees and a former seat on the ASUCD Court of Justice, impressed us with her vast knowledge of ASUCD and clear understanding of the path it takes for her platforms to become implementable legislature with prior experience assembling a bill for mental health. In addition to her experience, Tenner has a variety of quick-fix ideas that will have a huge impact on student satisfaction. These include Wi-Fi installation in the ARC and regular email reminders for pass times and drop days. Though Tenner’s platform also includes bridging a relationship between the university’s Greek community and ASUCD by bringing more Safeboats to houseboat trips, she shows an intelligent awareness of ASUCD’s budget through affirming that the funding for the boats will not come from the association’s budget, but rather fundraising efforts between ASUCD and the Greek community.
Polls for the upcoming election will open on Nov. 9 and close on Nov. 12. Votes can be cast online at elections.ucdavis.edu.
