Three executive tickets, 22 senatorial candidates
The following candidates are running for elected official positions in ASUCD for the 2018 Winter Election. There are three executive tickets — for ASUCD president and vice president — and 22 candidates running for six open seats in the Senate. The candidates are running on the following slates: the Golden Slate, Unite!, BASED, and Aggie Community Transfers (ACT). All candidates in ACT are running on one of the platforms in the acronym DREAM — diversity, resources, events, advocacy and mentorship.
Toni Sandoval & Kevin Butt — ACT
Toni Sandoval, a third-year transfer student and communication major, and Kevin Butt, a third-year transfer student double majoring in political science and African American and African studies, are running for the ACT slate executive ticket as president and vice president, respectively. Their platforms include increasing the inclusivity of ASUCD by cultivating an inviting and positive environment, fostering transparency in all aspects of ASUCD to make it more accessible to all students and holding members of ASUCD accountable in serving their communities.
“We’re here to promote change,” Sandoval said. “I think our campus is ready to see change within the way ASUCD operates and I believe that Kevin and myself are motivated enough, willing enough and more than qualified enough to do it. It’s going to be a different face for ASUCD, and if [students] want to ASUCD change the way it operates, they would vote for us.”
Julie Jung & Julienne Correa — BASED
Julie Jung, a third-year political science and psychology double major and a former ASUCD senator, and Julienne Correa, a third-year psychology and sociology double major and current chair of the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission, are running on the BASED slate for president and vice president, respectively. Their platforms include stronger ASUCD outreach to students, more student involvement with administrative advisory committees and the UC Davis administration and a stronger relationship between the student body and the City of Davis. They would also like to increase resources for marginalized communities on campus and ASUCD committees, units and commissions, support ASUCD volunteers and student activism, and raise awareness of ASUCD itself.
“We want to put the focus on marginalized communities and minority groups,” Jung said. “We will be putting an important focus on those who’ve felt they haven’t been heard by their student representatives in a long time.”
Shaniah Branson & Michael Gofman — Unite!
Second-year economics and political science double major Michael Gofman, a current ASUCD senator, and third-year transfer student and communication major Shaniah Branson, a current ASUCD interim senator, are running on the Unite! slate executive ticket for president and vice president, respectively. Their platforms include promotion of transparency within ASUCD, an increased focus on disability rights on campus, tackling food and housing insecurity and bridging the gap between transfer and non-transfer students.
“We have the experience needed to create the change that we want to see,” Gofman said. “A lot of people run coming from outside of the association on changing the way it operates, and I’d say we’re the only ticket that wants to do that, but also has the experience within the association to know how to create that change.”
Henna Battan
Third-year managerial economics major and transfer student Henna Battan is running for Senate under the ACT slate. Battan is running her platform under “E” for events. She hopes to host community events that will connect and unify UC Davis’ diverse student body — something that drew her to Davis in the first place. She is confident that her passion for public service will help her to achieve her goals, and that her experiences as a transfer student will give her a new perspective on the position.
Daniel Tillman
Daniel Tillman is a third-year political science and history double major running on the BASED slate. His primary goal is to improve student resources with regard to housing. Rather than replace the annual Housing Day event, Tillman would like to work in conjunction with the event — and ideally adopt Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students as a unit. Tillman wants to create an online page that provides students with resources such as a timeline of the housing process, how to get a credit report and an outline of renters’ rights.
Tillman has been in contact with Student Housing to achieve this goal, and has also to inquired about including more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. He recognizes the difficulty of constructing bathrooms in older buildings, and would rather focus his energy on ensuring new buildings include gender neutral bathrooms in their floor plans. Tillman also aims to improve lighting on campus by handing out more bike lights and expanding the Blue Light program, which provides students with emergency call stations across campus. Lastly, Tillman highlights that, as a transgender man, he would like to use his position on Senate to speak on behalf of underrepresented communities on campus.
Daniella Aloni
If elected senator, third-year communication major Daniella Aloni said she hopes to focus on two communities she belongs to: disabled students and transfer students. Running on the Unite! slate, Aloni wants to strengthen the Disability Rights Advocacy Committee and increase visibility for students who have different forms of disabilities.
She also plans to work alongside the Transfer and Re-entry Center to create an environment that helps transfer students transition into campus life more easily. Aloni believes ASUCD needs fresh voices to accomplish any significant change — a role she is confident that she can fill.
Sam Doolittle
Sam Doolittle, a third-year economics major, attended multiple colleges before officially becoming a student at UC Davis this past fall. This experience allowed him to compare and evaluate the transfer student experience here on campus — particularly in regards to where UC Davis can improve. Doolittle, a member of the Golden Slate, has three primary platforms: making it easier for transfer students to form connections with other students and faculty members; increasing funding for and management of club activities; and enforcing stricter punishments for those accused of sexual assault and violence. Through these, Doolittle hopes to craft a more inclusive, welcoming and safe atmosphere for all students at UC Davis.
Brandon Clemons
Third-year student Brandon Clemons, a managerial economics, philosophy and psychology triple major, is running for Senate on the Unite! slate to optimize the student experience at UC Davis as he inches toward the end of his own. His platforms include the improvement of academic advising and giving freshman an informal way to access advising in their student centers without appointments. He also wants to improve conditions for studying in Shields Library, such as strengthening the Wi-Fi and collaborating with the CoHo to have coffee and vending machines in the library. In addition, Clemons would like to work with The Pantry, the UC Global Food Initiative and CalFresh to create more opportunities for food-insecure students.
Valeria Duenas
Valeria Duenas, a third-year student majoring in political science — public service, is
representing the BASED slate while running for Senate in the Winter Election. She wants to put more emphasis on women’s health by working with the Women’s Resources and Research Center to ensure that bathroom dispensaries are properly supplied with menstrual products, such as pads and tampons. Her other main platform revolves around finding a safe space for the Chicano/Latino Community to meet and having more events like La Raza Cultural Days as well as increasing exposure to these events. If elected senator, Duenas also wants to extend outreach to other communities.
Ko Ser Lu Htoo
Second-year political science and international relations double major Ko Ser Lu Htoo is running with the BASED slate on four major platforms: more resources for the LGBTQIA community; increasing involvement and engagement at the International Center; increasing the presence of Service for International Students and Scholars and increasing activist and outreach efforts by the ASUCD Senate.
Htoo is running for Senate in order to bring more representation to marginalized groups and to give back to the campus community. They also want to improve ASUCD’s communication and connection with the campus and students by expanding outreach efforts and working to bring students from diverse backgrounds into ASUCD. If elected, Htoo is interested in adopting Whole Earth Festival or Picnic Day, two events that celebrate diversity and bring the campus together.
Luke Stocker
Luke Stocker is a second-year English major and computer science minor who is running with the Golden Slate. Stocker’s platforms include lobbying the city for more affordable housing; being a liason for clubs and increasing club financing and bringing priority class registration, which NCAA athletes currently have, to club athletes with more than six practices per week. He also has plans to streamline the reporting process for sexual assault through the university, make accusations more public and change the organizational structure so that cases are handled more quickly. If elected, Stocker is interested in adopting The California Aggie or working with Whole Earth Festival.
Stocker is also interested in improving the culture of ASUCD by encouraging senators to hold more visible office hours and addressing what he sees as a chronic absentee problem by publicizing senate meeting attendance. He is running for Senate because he sees an opportunity to make positive change with his slate and give back to the campus.
Colin Heurlin
Colin Heurlin is a third-year transfer student majoring in international relations with a focus on peace and security in Latin America. He is running his campaign on the Unite! slate remotely, as he is currently in Washington D.C. with the UCDC program. Heurlin formerly served as the ASUCD Internal Affairs Committee commissioner and is interested in running for Senate because of his passion for legislation, policy and student government.
Heurlin is running on platforms of creating a learning resource center that would remove the stigma of asking for tutoring or academic help and creating a transfer peer mentorship program where transfer students would be paired with a student who has been at UC Davis for a year or two to share resources and advice. He sees room for improvement in the demographic makeup of ASUCD — he says transfer students are underrepresented at the Senate table — and the expediency of student services and resource availability. Because he worked at Starbucks for five years and has experience in the customer service and food service industries, Heurlin is interested in adopting the CoHo if elected.
Jumoke Maraiyesa
Jumoke Maraiyesa is a third-year sociology major with an emphasis in law and society. They are running on the BASED slate on two major platforms: working with The Pantry on food security and having a physical location for people to gather around when hate crimes or sexual assault occurs on campus in order to promote inclusivity.
Maraiyesa is interested in running for a Senate position because they see issues that matter are not being addressed on campus. They want to bridge the gap between the students, administration and Senate. Maraiyesa hopes to do so by setting up programs or workshops to inform the student body about what ASUCD does and to make sure students are aware of what’s going on and how it affects them.
Simran Kaur
Simran Kaur is a third-year human development major running on the BASED slate. She is running on three main platforms, which include bringing awareness and expansion to The Pantry, improving cultural awareness to help people from different cultures feel more included in campus life and working to refine relationships between the student body and the UC Davis administration by increasing interaction between the two bodies.
“At the end of the day, we’re all in this community together and striving to get a UC degree in this institution,” Kaur said. “We need to come together and […] live by our quote which is ‘For Aggies, by Aggies.’”
Lucero Vasquez
Lucero Vasquez is a second-year undeclared major, but is on the pre-med track. She is running on the BASED slate because she believes that support and community is important and that the BASED slate is diverse and welcoming. Her platforms include emphasizing a welcoming environment to all students — socially, academically and mentally. By doing so, she hopes to increase student club awareness, increase the efficient sustainability of resources and reduce mental health issues on campus.
Vasquez also hopes to improve diversity within the Senate table and encourages students to reach out to senators and ask them questions. Vasquez also stresses the importance of bringing all communities together and stated: “At the end of the day, we’re all Aggies.”
Daniel Hernandez
Daniel Hernandez is a third-year wildlife, fish and conservation biology major planning on switching to an evolution, ecology and biodiversity major. He is running on the BASED slate on the platforms of increasing the grants the Community Resource and Retention Centers receive and making Tipsy Taxi a subunit of Unitrans.
Hernandez became interested in running for Senate because he realized that there were areas of improvement and realized that being in Senate would allow him to have a greater impact, as he would have more control over where money is allocated and the ASUCD bylaws. He also wants to make Senate a more inclusive and safe space since he feels intersectional identities are underrepresented.
Ben McDougall
Ben McDougall is a second-year undeclared major who is planning to declare a political science and economics double major. He is running with the Golden Slate on four major platforms: club finance reform, sexual harassment policy reform, cheating on exams and improving the Bike Barn. He chose to run for Senate because he is interested in politics and would like to work with the Bike Barn, Unitrans and KDVS as adopted units. McDougall also sees room for improvement in committee meeting attendance.
Shaden Cortez
Shaden Cortez is a third-year political science and communication double major. She is running with the ACT slate representing the “D” as her main platform, which stands for diversity and inclusivity. As a Latina, she feels that having equal representation in ASUCD is important and encourages students of all backgrounds to run for Senate. The units she aspires to adopt are the Whole Earth Festival, Bike Barn and Aggie Reuse Store.
Alisha Hacker
Alisha Hacker is first-year political science — public service major running with the Unite! slate. Hacker plans to be the voice of the first-years on Senate and was encouraged to run after attending ASUCD meetings where decisions that would affect her were made without representation for first-years at the Senate table.
Hacker’s platforms include increasing housing in Davis, especially focusing on second-year housing opportunities; increasing student advocacy and involvement, including the the registration of students to vote in Yolo county; and bridging the divide between Greek life and ASUCD. She hopes to work with the Office of Advocacy and Student Representation and utilize the proximity of Davis to the state capitol.
Teresa Lam
Teresa Lam, a third-year political science and history double major, is running for Senate on the ACT slate because she found a community on campus with other transfer students and feels that they have similar mindsets. Her platform is focused on advocacy and awareness. She said she wants to help whichever resources on campus need the most exposure. She is especially interested in raising awareness of the Women’s Resources and Research center as well as the Mental Health Initiative. Lam is interested in running for Senate because she believes this platform will allow her to make a difference on campus.
Mohammad Qayum
Third-year political science major Mohammad Qayum is running for Senate on the Unite! slate because he believes in the values this slate stands for. He has three platforms: transfer and re-entry student representation, food security and “get out the vote.” He is interested in helping the Veterans Success Center, located on the second floor of the MU. Qayum believes running for ASUCD will give him the chance to get out and give transfer students the representation they need.
Atanas Spasov
Atanas Spasov is a third-year student pursuing a double major in economics and mathematics. He is also running on Unite! and has been involved in student government for about a year and a half, as he worked with Gofman’s campaign. Spasov has three platforms — financial scrutiny, sexual health and student scheduling. Spasov is especially interested in developing the financial scrutiny of the Bike Barn and CoHo and is interested in adopting either of these ASUCD units. As a child of immigrant parents from Soviet Bulgaria, Spasov has come to appreciate the importance of a representative government and wants to put his talents toward public service.
Kim Helen Quach
A member of the ACT slate, third-year English major Kim Helen Quach is running her platform on “M” for mentorship. She would like to promote inclusivity, diversity and advocacy on campus, bridging the gap between transfer and non-transfer students. She would also like to improve bike safety on campus by making bike lights more accessible and working with the blue light program. Quach feels that serving as a senator will give her the authority to make these changes directly and to better get feedback from the student body.
The following candidates did not respond to a request from The California Aggie for an interview: Katherine Elizabeth Elaine Weaver, a third-year international relations major with the Golden Slate and Rachel Young, a third-year history major with the ACT slate.
Written by: The Aggie Editorial Board — campus@theaggie.org
