Executive Endorsement: Josh Dalavai and Adilla Jamaludin (BASED)
Both former senators, Dalavai and Jamaludin have the experience necessary to lead ASUCD. In their endorsement interview, they demonstrated an understanding of pressing issues facing students, such as food and housing insecurities and maintaining UC Davis’ status as a sanctuary campus. They are aware of both the need for transparency within ASUCD and the UC Davis administration, and hope to better enable student advocacy on campus. The Editorial Board believes that with their experience and their teamwork, they are by far the most qualified executive team in this race.
Senate Endorsements:
No. 1 — Sam Chiang (BASED)
As an ASUCD senator running for re-election, Chiang has the experience and the dedication necessary to fulfill her goals in Senate. During her time in office, Chiang achieved all of her platforms, and has already began working on the platforms she is currently running on, which include bringing cultural competency training to students and increasing international student resources. Chiang’s commitment to mental health awareness is impressive to say the least — she recently headed UC Davis’ first on-campus mental health conference and hopes to create a mental health awareness month.
No. 2 — Rahi Suryawanshi (Bespoke)
As a staff member for current senator Shaitaj Dhaliwal, Suryawanshi has both ASUCD experience and an eagerness to help improve the lives of UC Davis students. The Editorial Board believes that her platforms, which include creating allyship workshops for marginalized communities in the residence halls and providing free self-defense workshops on campus, are both feasible and can make a tangible impact on campus.
No. 3 — Michael Gofman (Independent)
Although he’s only a first-year, Gofman impressed the Editorial Board with his passion for making a difference at UC Davis. His platforms, which are well-thought out and researched, touch on issues that are important to students: sustainability, affordability and improving student-teacher relations. The Editorial Board appreciates Gofman’s dedication to increasing resources for The Pantry, an ASUCD unit that provides food to students dealing with food insecurity. With the recent vote to increase UC tuition, services like The Pantry are more important than ever, and the Editorial Board believes that Gofman’s experience in writing grants for The Pantry will help him achieve this goal.
No. 4 — Marcos Ismael Rodriguez (Bespoke)
As the current vice-chair of ASUCD’s business and finance commission and a former staffer for several senators, Rodriguez is more than qualified to serve as an ASUCD senator. Rodriguez recognizes the need for minority representation at UC Davis, especially in the aftermath of the 2017 presidential election, and wants to ensure that minority communities have a voice on our campus. The Editorial Board particularly appreciates Rodriguez’s goal of decreasing the disconnect between ASUCD and the student body — a relevant issue considering that the number of students who vote in the ASUCD elections has steadily decreased in recent years.
Students can vote online at elections.ucdavis.edu from Feb. 21 at 8 a.m. until Feb. 24 at 8 a.m.
