Students heard a number of buzzwords around the ASUCD Coffee House Wednesday afternoon – platform goals, UC Students Association, allocating funds and transfer student outreach among them.
With the exception of Richard Yu, senatorial candidates used Wednesday’s CoHo debate to elaborate on their platform goals and address current problems facing UC Davis students.
Eli Yani won large ovations for his stance against platform goals. Many candidates run on lofty platforms and never achieve them, Yani said.
Nonetheless, members of the audience cheered on several of their peers’ goals, including Edd Montelongo and Arasele Torrez Jimenez’s plans to empower underrepresented communities on campus. Mayra Martin’s platform to mentor high school students was also well received.
One divisive issue was the fate of AS Papers, an ASUCD unit aiming to publish alternative periodicals on campus. While Caitlin Alday and Anna Ruth Crittenden feel that AS Papers is very important for alternative student expression, Brendan Repicky and Amy Martin said that AS Papers has not been productive and needs to be revamped. Martin suggested putting AS Papers online as a more fiscally responsible way to continue the unit.
Following the formal portion of the debate, members of the audience had the opportunity to address the candidates. ASUCD Senator Osahon Ekhator drew attention to the fact that Ryan Meyerhoff left his position as chair of the Elections Committee in order to run for senate. Meyerhoff said that he left his post responsibly and that running for senate has always been in his college plan.
Kase Wheatley, a sophomore undeclared major, announced that he is running for ASUCD president as a write-in candidate.
Voting for the ASUCD election begins Feb. 16 at 8 a.m. at elections.ucdavis.edu.
– Janelle Bitker
