The Candidate Statements from the Winter 2005 ASUCD Election for A Bunch Of People are Here:

Presidential Candidates

Caliph Assagai and Darnell Holloway

Our campaign for the ASUCD executive office has been inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world”. In the context of ASUCD, students have contacted us demanding change. The ever widening disconnect between our student government and the rest of the student body has become the greatest problem.

One of our highest priorities will be to establish the Campus Organizing and Outreach Office which will outreach directly to the student body by informing students about ASUCD’s government, events, and resources. The office will also be used to promote collaboration between student organizations and ASUCD. There are also countless problems outside of campus facing the student body.

Students make up nearly 50% of Davis’ population and are a necessary component of the Davis economy. Unfortunately, students have no representation within city government and are often adversely affected by city policies such as noise violation fines. We will commit ASUCD’s office of External Affairs to hold annual voter registration drives to increase student voter turnout in city elections. Furthermore, we will advocate for choice voting within the city of Davis to increase the power of student voters. It is also apparent that there is no ceiling for student fee increases. We promise to empower student interests and increase the number of UCD students lobbying at the Capitol by expanding ASUCD’s Lobby Corps. We will also organize a massive rally at the State Capitol by working with UCSA and other college associations to show solidarity among students and to voice our concerns about the steadily increasing price of higher education in California.

The opportunity to make a significant change is a rare occurrence. Our combined resources extend far beyond ASUCD, and because of this we are in a position to take the association to new heights. We urge you to be a part of the change you wish to see by voting for Caliph Assagai and Darnell Holloway. Thank You.

Sapana Shende and Jenni Beeman

Hey fellow Aggies! We are Sapana Shende and Jenni Beeman, and we couldn't be more excited to be running for ASUCD President and Vice President on the Student Focus Slate. We have valuable and varied experience with campus organizations and clubs and can't wait to further represent you in ASUCD. Our experience includes:

PRESIDENT: Sapana Shende

4th Yr International Relations & Spanish

  • ASUCD Senator, President Pro Tempore
  • ASUCD Vice Chair, Business & Finance
  • Campus Ambassador
  • South Asian Student Organization

VICE PRESIDENT: Jenni Beeman

3rd Yr Political Science and French

  • ASUCD Academic Affairs Chair
  • CASAN Community Service Director
  • Aggie Pack Volunteer
  • Athletic Administrative Advisory Committee

We know that this experience will help us to best serve you ? we have many ideas on how to improve your years at Davis, and make ASUCD more responsive to you. As your president and vice president we will:

  • Serve with Integrity: Create an ASUCD email newsletter and make greater use of public opinion polls to make ASUCD more transparent to the student body
  • Create Remote Printing: skip the computer lab lines by printing to the labs from home
  • Provide Finals Week Parking: Create a discounted, finals-week-only, parking permit
  • Protect Your Party Rights: create a student run party planning and management service to help you avoid noise violations and confrontations with the police.

Don't forget to Vote February 23rd and 24th at elections.ucdavis.edu and vote for us, Sapana Shende and Jenni Beeman, and STUDENT FOCUS!

Senate Candidates

LEAD

Andrew Wong

My name is Andrew Wong and I am a candidate for ASUCD Senate on the L.E.A.D. slate.

I am running for Senate because I truly believe in the L.E.A.D. platform and because I want to represent those students that are rarely heard by the current student government. Since June 2004, I've been the President of the Transfer Student Association, I've learned of the difficulties of starting a new club while addressing the lack of support that ASUCD provides to transfer and re-entry students. As your future Senator, I will provide the much-needed voice for them in campus affairs. My goal is to have a bi-weekly forum to allow students address their concerns regarding ASUCD.

I also served our country in Afghanistan in 2003, improving my leadership skills and ability to work under pressure as I regularly interacted with the local people of Afghanistan to ensure that they have access to democratic institutions.

In addition, I've lead as the Service Vice President of Circle K International, a collegiate community service organization, and as the Project Leader with Hands-On Sacramento. Those positions gave me the experience as a community leader, while volunteering with the Davis and Sacramento community on a continuous basis and interacting with many students on campus.

Lastly, I hope to encourage more participation from the Asian and Asian Pacific Islander communities within ASUCD. As a Senator, I would be inclusive to the ideas of the many Asian and Pacific Islanders organizations, as well as the general student population.

We have seen the issues and problems of ASUCD and change-of-power is necessary. Your vote for L.E.A.D. means one vote closer for change.

Ann Marie Sanchez

Hey there fellow Aggies! My name is Ann Marie Sanchez and I am a first year International Relations major with a minor in Italian. I am a CrossVolunteer as well as an AMR 21 intern. I am running for senate because I believe that ASUCD needs to have more outreach programs for students, especially for the freshmen on campus. This way more UCD students have the ability to get involved. Through my experience as an intern for current senator Darnell Holloway, I have seen the many things that ASUCD does for the Student Body. I would love to be a part of ASUCD and make my own contributions to U.C. Davis. Gandhi once said, "Be that change in the world that you want to see." This quote inspired me to get involved with ASUCD. I want to be able to aggressively pursue the changes that the students want to see in our association. My experience at the Cross Cultural Center has led me believe strongly in programs that help raise cultural awareness.While in office I plan to help develop programs to educate UCD Students on what ASUCD is about. I want to promote ASUCD in a positive manner; students rarely hear the good things that ASUCD does on campus. I am currently working on a program that outreaches to freshmen.While in office I also want to work on maintaining a more united Senate. The more united the senate becomes the better team they will make, and as a result we will bring a positive change to our campus. I am running on L.E.A.D.'s slate and our platform has many fresh ideas that we will all work hard to accomplish during our term in ASUCD.You can view our platform, as well as more information about all of the L.E.A.D candidates on our website www.votelead.com. Feel free to contact me about any issues that you feel strongly about, or believe really need some consideration to help improve U.C. Davis. I am here to serve the students.Thanks for your time Aggies, and don't forget to Vote L.E.A.D.!

Devin Whitney

Hello Associated Students of UC Davis. My name is Devin Whitney and I'm a 4th year Environmental Toxicology major. I am running for senate because I feel it is time for a change to occur within student government, and it needs to happen now. In my two years as ASUCD Entertainment Council Promotions Director I've had many dealings with different units and organizations in ASUCD. It is from this involvement in ASUCD that my desire to play a hand in the decision making process grew as I saw too many problems in ASUCD many of which stem from a lack of proper leadership within student government. I want to bring fiscal responsibility, outreach, and accountability back to ASUCD.

While there seem to be no systemic problems with ASUCD, there are many small problems that can be easily corrected to make it more efficient and update it so that it more accurately represents the current student body in its structure and decision making process. It also seems that recently ASUCD's integrity as an ethical organization has come under question. This problem seems to have arisen from an inability to hold people accountable for their actions, and at times lack of action. To correct this problem my fellow L.E.A.D. senate candidates, and myself, if elected, would implement and advocate for changes in ASUCD that would eliminate the ability of people within it to hide from their duties and not be held responsible. This would include quarterly employee evaluations, a committee to address charges against appointed officials, as well as censors for senators not fulfilling their obligations. I would also advocate for increased environmental awareness by supporting plans for a new Environmental Affairs Office. Also, to ensure that the student body doesn't pass an initiative with out knowing the associated costs, I would see that a bill was passed that mandated that all fee based initiatives, or any that affect tuition, show the associated costs on the ballot on a per student per year basis so that initiatives aren't passed because of students being uninformed.

If you feel misrepresented, or under-represented, or if you want ASUCD and UC Davis to have the dignity and respect that it deserves, than I urge you to vote for me, and my fellow L.E.A.D. candidates on election day so that you can be a part of the change you would like to see happen on campus.

Gemma Jimenez

My name is Gemma Jimenez and I want to be your ASUCD Senator. I am a 3rd year Sociology Major with a Minor in Chican@ Studies. My desire to run for senate was influenced by my experience with a variety of entities on campus. I am a former ASUCD Senate Intern and Culture Days Intern with S.P.A.C. Currently, I am a Peer Advising Counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program, Co-Coordinator for Mujeres Ayudando la Raza, and an ASUCD Business and Finance Commissioner. My intimate exposure has let me experience the hard work it takes to run an organization and the difficulties in working with a team, which is a quality one needs to encompass in order to work as a Senator. My priorities, if I were to be elected Senator, would be to work with more on campus organizations to see what they would want or need from ASUCD and to evaluate the performances of ASUCD units in order to meet student's demands. It is YOUR money that makes these units run.

I want students to know there are people in ASUCD Senate that care about the betterment of the campus and are concerned about the interests of the students. As a Senator, I wish to accomplish various personal and slate goals; but more importantly, I hope to accomplish the goals of my constituents.

Come election day do not forget to vote for the L.E.A.D. candidates: Pres./V.P: Caliph Assagai, Darnell Holloway, Senate: Gemma Jimenez, Ann Marie Sanchez, Nadeah Vali, Devin Whitney, Andrew Wong, and Kyle Keene.

Nadeah Vali

To my fellow students. I want to be a senator in order to bring connectivity between the student population and ASUCD senate. I want to ensure this personally by attending meetings of different SPAC organizations and campus units to ensure that the needs, concerns, and projects students want to implement are facilitated by ASUCD. I am an extremely approachable person and I want students to take advantage of the fact that I am willing to ensure that the power is restored to students and really fight for their issues. I want to work on projects for outreach and enrollment with the SRRC, EOP, and other campus units. I want to mobilize womyn, specifically womyn of color like myself, to empower ourselves at the UC Davis campus and beyond. Likewise, as an international relations major, activist, and a well-traveled woman, I am passionate about ensuring that our minority and low income students get representation. I will work to have student power is re-institutionalized. This is a struggle that our generations before and after us will continue with, and as individuals, we must look past the propaganda and really assess the injustices within our system to see this. I feel that our association has no representation of 'minority' issues or the alternative students voice. I want to encourage freshman and sophomores to get actively involved with campus activities and I believe that can only happen if we give campus organizations the attention and support they deserve to ensure that student with ideas of activist programs, whether they are academic or extra-curricular, get the support from senate and ASUCD. The student body at UC Davis has such a potential to realize so many goals, but we as a student body do not act as a collective. I want to be the change that I believe our campus needs as a voice for the collective. So don't forget to vote L.E.A.D. on February 24th and 25th!

Kyle Keene

Our slogan, "Be apart of the change you want to see," is influential to all of the L.E.A.D. candidates but vary and diverge in interpretation of its meaning and intentions. For me, this "change" that I would associate myself with the strongest is for diversity among the UCD campus and Davis community. This diversity, however, is not solely dependent on the different ethnic and cultural communities on campus but is much more so targeted at diversity on a larger level, an Environmental level. This is large-scale diversity that affects each and every one of our lives, whether or not it is acknowledged or accepted. So to start at the local level of environmental policy to allow an interlacing of all the communities of Davis together and induce diversity, it is essential to have an environmental policy office that will combine all of the environmental interest groups on campus into one central agency, the Environmental Affairs Office. In addition to having a central location for campus-wide environmental policy and, off on a tangent, I believe it is also essential to increase the standards on new and renovated buildings on campus by implementing Lyon Simons "Green Building" standards. Green Building is gaining national and international acceptance with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating/ranking system, which allows for a new or renovated facility to have cheaper stipends pertaining to electricity, water and heating and also incorporates building longevity into design. Along with diversity, I am strongly advocating for lowering student fees and, in doing so, assist in a 'March to the Capitol' to lower all California college fees. Lastly, another way to increase and expand diversity on campus is to increase outreach programs on campus, such as the ASUCD Advocacy Unit: Pathfinder K-12 Mentor/Tutoring Program. Programs like these are essential to dynamically change relations between UCD and its surrounding communities and to further enrich the UCD campus with potential students of all races and cultures. In this election it is up to you to make the change you want to see, so change ASUCD by casting your vote.

Friends Urging Campus Kindness

Robert Roy

Things have done: I have been the general manager of Ben & Jerry’s for over five years. I was the Underwriting Director of KDVS for the 2003-04 school year and have been a KDVS DJ for two years. I am an ordained minister. I am The Party King of Davis.

Things I am doing now: Running on the Friends Urging Campus Kindness slate with Teresa Kenny, Pedro Hernandez, Kristen Birdsall, "Yahya" Rouhani, Paul Ivanov, and Chad Van Shoelandt.

Things I want to do:

  1. Put staplers in the computer printing rooms. "They" say the labs used to have staplers but people stole them so I came up with the brilliant idea that we bolt the staplers down.

  2. Let students to be able to print from an IP address off campus and have what they printed ready for pick up from an on campus printing lab.

  3. Bring Senate meetings and Senator's office hours down to the Co-Ho and the Quad.

  4. Assess the viability of the TV(s) in the coffee house. Do they serve a purpose or are they just annoying?

  5. Expand Unitrans to having bus routes later into the weekend evenings.

  6. Speed up Geckomail.

  7. Encourage more recycling and composting on a departmental level.

  8. Improve student relationships with the city. Push for choice voting for city council elections and move city council elections to the first Tuesday in November so that students can have a better voice on city issues. End the Davis Apartheid on Students!

  9. Encourage new businesses to come to Davis that cater to Students. And improve the nightlife situation in Davis. Establish a permanent on campus music venue.

  10. Provide students with a consolidated list of assigned text books and their ISB number so students can shop early for the cheapest textbooks available.

  11. Apply good business practices to the way ASUCD is run.

  12. I do not want to cut the total hours that students can work. It only hurts the students who need the money to pay for this expensive school we all go to.

Teresa Kenny

Hi,

I'm Teresa Kenny, and I'm running for Senate. As General Manager of KDVS, I don't mince words at meetings and am very familiar with campus resources. Students will vote if we elect responsive officials. We need senators who are willing to do the groundwork to make informed decisions.

As an ASUCD Senator, I will strive to:

  • Use Technology to increase transparency of ASUCD meetings. ASUCD should post pending bills and Senate agendas online 72 hours before meetings, making it easier for busy students to be involved in ASUCD
  • Work with Calpirg to get teachers to help reduce textbook costs for students. Offer teacher's textbook choices earlier to assist online purchase of used books.
  • Help low-income students by preventing a 20-hour/week cap on student jobs. Allow students who need to work full-time the opportunity to do so.
  • Encourage competitive business practices. Investigate why campus units are slower, more expensive, with worse service and products.
  • I support a Countback Amendment, filling open spots in the Senate with those chosen under Choice Voting.

As an ASUCD Senator, I am offering my voice to the underrepresented student body so the University can better serve you.

Thanks for your #1 vote.

Oh, and Vote "Yes" on the Constitutional Amendment.

Pete Hernandez

Besides having nunchucks and a really sweet bike there are other reasons why you should vote for Pedro. As a third year transfer I've noticed the lack of representation of transfer students on the ASUCD senate. Having served on student senate in junior college I realize the importance of having a senate that represents its full population. A senate that represents its student in full will be able to make decisions which represent the interest of all students. Do not take this election lightly, there are pending issues which this Student Senate has not addressed, simple tasks such as purchasing staplers for the computer labs, or more importantly the mismanaged budget which limited student workers to twenty hours this quarter.

As far as leadership skills are concerned, I bring to the table two years of past senate experience. I served as Vice President and Legislative Representative of Cabrillo College. I bring experience in hiring committees, budget committees, and lobbying for students interest in Sacramento. My goals for senate include: bringing fiscal responsibility to the Senate, staplers in the computer labs, and working for student workers, so they are not ripped off from working because of the mismanagement of funds. I can assure you my commitment in improving the quality of life here at UC Davis.

I ask you, the student to consider voting for any of the Friends Urging Campus Kindness candidates. We are not looking for another item to put on our resume, we are students who are fed up with the mismanagement of your 9.2 million dollar budget and want to address the simple needs of students. I urge you all to vote Friends Urging Campus Kindness and "Vote for Pedro" because I offer you my protection and most importantly, so that all your wildest dreams can come true.

Mohammad "Yahya" Rouhani

Apathy is the single best resouce of corrupted officials. This is why I have decided to become proactive in this school's government. In the past months it's become evident that the ASUCD Senate Office is passing bills and spending money without considering all the ramifications and costs of their decisions. My colleagues and I are running a campaign of fiscal responsibility with the hopes of gaining a greater voice within our student government to achieve our goals.

My goals are to open the budget to the greater public by placing the ASUCD budget online and giving access to students. By opening the budget to the public eye, there will be greater pressure on the senate to act accordingly. Furthermore, it is important for the senate to follow good business practices. There is no need to keep an ASUCD commission position if it has failed to provide a positive change to the campus. All these goals will require a thorough streamlining of the ASUCD government.

If you wish to see the full Friends Urging Campus Kindness platform, visit Friends Urging Campus Kindness Platform. Thank you for taking the time to participate in your student government and have a fantastic year.

—Mohammad Yahya Rouhani

Paul Ivanov

My name is Paul Ivanov, and I'm a very different kind of candidate. You see, if you ever attend a senate meeting, you'll hear clashing egos and a fair share of petty bickering. For many, a seat in the ASUCD Senate will be a stepping stone for their political careers. I'm a 3rd year Computer Science major, from Mountain View, CA. I am NOT a career politician. I'm running for senate because I want to help improve our university. I want to get things rolling, get things done. Current senators recently spent an entire 2 hours debating an $80 spending bill to purchase a vinyl banner advertising senators' office hours. Main argument against the bill - banner wouldn't be used, cheaper (even free) alternatives are available. Main argument for the bill - it's only $80 dollars. It was then passed unanimously. That is no way to do business.

Open Government - there's no reason why every document (budget plan, senate bills, etc.) shouldn't be made accessible online. You deserve to know how your money is being spent, and what's going on in senate. A more open government will make long term projects feasible and will provide for an easier transition for future elected officials (thus a more effective student government).

As a Summer Advisor, I spent the past summer welcoming new students to UC Davis. I am proud of our university, but the current state of affairs in our Student Government bothered me so much that I had to do something. Luckily, I wasn?t the only one. As a temporary alliance, Friends Urging Campus Kindness was born. If you didn't like student government in high school, don't vote for the same people that have been doing this stuff since high school. Vote for Rob Roy, Teresa Kenny, Pete Hernandez, Kristen Birdsall, Yahya Rouhani, Chad Van Schoelandt, and Paul Ivanov.

Kristen Birdsall

I can serve as an open outlet from the ASUCD to the students; willing to listen to concerns and desires. As a senator I will work hard to keep you, the student, informed about ASUCD matters.

Our University is a community that requires an understanding of all of its diversity. I would like to address particular topics such as, bridging the gap between the ASUCD and the students by allowing all aspects of the ASUCD governing bodies to be open and accessible. Bills should be readily available online before they are brought before the Senate. It is important that the student body be informed so they can help the Senate make informed decisions.

There are logical solutions to the University's impact on the environment. The CoHo currently uses Styrofoam to serve their delicious food but when someone supplies their own container the employees are required to throw away their gloves. There are Styrofoam alternatives that must be looked into in order to ensure the least environmental impact with the highest opportunity for recycling.

The recent bill that passed, allocating $33,000 for the installment of two large televisions in the CoHo, benefits AGTV and grants them a larger viewing audience but does not recognize the annoyance and pervasiveness of the ads that will run on the televisions. The student body is not here to be advertised to.

I have worked for two years while simultaneously being a student and understand the needs and concerns of the working student. I am aware of the impact that the ASUCD has on student jobs and the importance of those jobs to students. Keeping jobs in the hands of students is an extremely high priority.

I am open to comments and suggestions and already hold office hours on the quad Tues-Thurs from 1-2pm.

Chad Van Schoelandt

I am running because I see many real problems with the ASUCD Senate. Senate meetings are incredibly boring, and often include the unanimous passage of ridiculous spending bills. Though I certainly don't want to waste loads of my time in the asylum on the 3rd floor of the MU, I find it important to call EXPLETIVE DELETED when we see it.

Many in the association have shown that they do not take rights seriously. For instance: censorship practiced by the Elections Committee in the past. When the Elections Committee cut off a candidates' microphones for saying "EXPLETIVE DELETED," their decision was, well, EXPLETIVE DELETED! When the Elections Committee edited "we promise that we will not embezzle more than the other candidates, and we will not steal $356.76 of books from the UCD Bookstore, unlike a certain Student FOCUS representative last year" from the statements and flyers of my slate last quarter, implicitly calling them false statements though they were true, it was EXPLETIVE DELETED. The committee attempted to enforce their standards of decency at the expense of the basic value of Free Speech.

My slate filed a complaint against the Elections Committee for editing our statements. After the Campus Judicial Board found unanimously against the Elections Committee on this issue, I, along with other members of my slate, authored a pair of bills to reform the elections process.

The bill which passed (without being signed by the Student Focus President) makes many important improvements. The government codes, however, still need much work. To get this work done, vote for the Friends Urging Campus Kindness.

Unlike some in the past, we will neither promise what we can't deliver, nor what is already being done. What we will promise is the fight for open and accessible government, supporting services that benefit all students and emphasizing good business practices within ASUCD. If you think free speech is more important than tube sock launching trucks, vote for the Friends Urging Campus Kindness.

Expletive Deleted?

The word that was removed from the statement is "bullshit." Its removal was dictated by the Aggie who said they would not print the statement with the word "bullshit."

Student Focus

Cindy Yu

Dear fellow students of UC Davis,

My name is Cindy Yu, and I am a second-year International Relations and Economics double major. I am running for the senate on the Student Focus ticket.

I believe I will be a good senator because of my strong work ethics, dedication to UC Davis, and my association with the different groups around campus. These are some of my on-campus experiences:

  • Health and Well-Being Committee Member, ASUCD. 2004-2005.
  • Executive Staff, ASUCD. 2004-2005.
  • Resident Advisor, Student Housing. 2004-2005.
  • Asian American Association Member. 2003-2004.

Because of my diversified academic, social, and work-related relationships, I will be able to represent the different interests reflected by the many groups I am part of. As a senator, I hope to:

  • Increase ASUCD outreach and service to clubs and organization
  • Inform students of academic resources on campus, and create an online system for advising
  • Create a collaborative club system to bring together groups on campus

In addition to the objectives mentioned above, I also promise to serve as a positive role model as a student representative, and to bring integrity and unity back to ASUCD. I am truly passionate about making positive changes around this campus by working on projects that are to the students' utmost concern.

If you want someone who will genuinely speak for your interests in ASUCD, vote for me, CINDY YU, and Student Focus on February 23 , 24.

Thank you very much for your support, and good luck to the rest of the candidates.

Ami Vora

Hi! My name is Ami Vora. I am a second year Mathematics and Economics double major (I have always preferred numbers to papers) and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to run for senate on the STUDENT FOCUS ticket. My campus experience includes:

  • Assistant Director: Picnic Day 2004
  • Publicity Director: Picnic Day 2005
  • ASUCD Business and Finance Commission
  • Davis Honors Challenge (DHC)
  • South Asian Student Organization (SASO)

I know that I can make a positive impact on this campus. Both my work ethic and my campus involvement have given me the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill this goal. In addition to our platform issues, as an ASUCD Senator I would also plan to:

  • Work with TAPS to create a parking permit designed for the ARC
  • Work with the Health and Well being committee to promote health days and encourage healthy lifestyles
  • Create a compilation of healthy meal ideas that any college student can prepare
  • Promote use of the ARC
  • Tie ASUCD and the Senators back to the students so that you know what is going on and how you have to be a part of it!

As a senator I would be dedicated to improving student life. Thanks for taking time to read this and I look forward to serving you in the future! Don't forget to Vote February 23th and 24th at elections.ucdavis.edu and vote for me, Ami Vora, and STUDENT FOCUS!

Kai Savaree-Ruess

Hello fellow Aggies! My name is Kai Savaree-Ruess and I am running for ASUCD Senate with the Student Focus slate. I am a third-year Sociology and Psychology double major. My campus involvement includes:

I am running for office because I believe I can make ASUCD better and more responsive to the student body. I have over a year's worth of experience working within ASUCD that has prepared me for my duties as a senator. I have a great deal of pride for the association and will work hard to represent all students during my term. Some of my projects will include:

  • Add an alternate senator to elections so that interim senators will be elected rather than appointed
  • Develop resources and advising services to help students graduate in four years
  • Make myself available and reach out to the student body
  • Unite ASUCD by establishing solid relations with all ASUCD commissions and units

Please consider me, Kai Savaree-Ruess, and all of Student Focus when you vote on February 23-24 at http://elections.ucdavis.edu. I would sincerely appreciate your vote!

Arsen "Ari" Kalfayan

Hello UC Davis! My name is Arsen "Ari" Kalfayan and I am thrilled to run this winter on the STUDENT FOCUS slate for Senate! I'm a third year Political Science and Communications double major. Some of my on campus experiences include:

  • 2003-2004 staff for the Ski Or Snowboard Club
  • A founding member of the UC Davis Men's Club Water Polo Team in 2004
  • 2004-2005 President of the Ski Or Snowboard Club (SOS)

I feel that through my extensive experience with different organizations on campus, I am well versed in organizing and managing many different types of activities on the UC Davis campus. I have both a comprehensive knowledge of the mechanics of student government and a familiarity with the governing bodies on campus. Also, as an ASUCD Senator I would work to:

  • Bring the voice and ideas of the students to the senate by giving reports to several large clubs on campus of what's going on in ASUCD and by helping to create a new ASUCD email newsletter. (or how else would you do that)
  • Help create and run more organized events on campus such as more concerts, events on the quad, more film screenings, and bigger and better club events by working with the ASUCD Entertainment council, thus making your years here at Davis more enjoyable.

Thank you for your time! Now don't forget to Vote February 23rd and 24th at elections.ucdavis.edu and vote for me, Arsen "Ari" Kalfayan, and STUDENT FOCUS!

Kale Jenks

My name is Kale Jenks I am a third year Psychology and Political Science major. I have been involved with ASUCD since the beginning of my second year and have taken it as a great privilege. I have a great deal of experience being involved with ASUCD and other campus organizations.

  • Business and Finance Commission Vice Chair: I have been on B&F commission since fall of 03' and I have learned a lot about the fiscal issues dealt with by Student Government. As vice chair I have filled in as the representative of my commission at senate meetings where I was able to relay our thoughts and concerns about the legislation that B&F voted on.
  • Assistant to the Vice President: As the assistant to the vice president I was able to work closely with her on specific issues that she felt were of importance.
  • I am also highly involved in my fraternity Theta Xi and have held many positions. I have been a member on the rush and social committees as well as chair of neighborhood relations. I have also been on the executive board where I served as Secretary and currently as Scholarship.

I want to become a senator so that I personally can contribute to the betterment of our school by either writing or voting for legislation that is beneficial to the student population.

  • I plan on working with the Davis Police Department to create better relations between them and the students.

  • I also plan on working with the entertainment council to put on more shows that better represent the student population.

    Thank you for reading my statement and remember to vote for me, Kale Jenks and Student Focus on February 23 and 24.

Independent

Jonathon Leathers

I'm Jonathon Leathers and I am running as the Independent candidate for ASUCD Senate. Here are just a few of the changes that I will make if you elect me to Senate: Open Government and Less Bureaucracy

  • I will open ASUCD government up to the student body by providing all relevant ASUCD information to the public online instead of hiding it in files on the 3rd floor of the MU.
  • I will cut the bureaucracy by merging the currently useless Health and Well-Being Committee into the notoriously successful Gender and Sexuality Commission.

Save Time and Money

  • I will oppose any wasteful and fiscally irresponsible spending within the Senate such as the government retreat every year to Lake Tahoe, the defunct fire truck which shoots tube socks instead of water, and plasma screen TVs to run ads in the Coffee House.
  • I will fully support lower student fees and will work to get the Two-Thirds Amendment passed as it requires two-thirds of voters to approve ASUCD increasing our fees.

Power to the People

  • I will give power back to the voters by getting my Countback Amendment passed which uses the Choice Voting data to decide who the voters want to fill vacancies on the Senate without having the President continue to appoint Senators or holding a special election.
  • I will continue to advocate Choice Voting here on campus and for its implementation in the city of Davis because the best way for the voice of the UCD students to be heard in Davis is by electing them to the City Council and Choice Voting will make this happen.

The other candidates may make extravagant promises but they are promises that they can not and will not keep. Vote to elect the Independent candidate who can and will fulfill his campaign promises to the voters and rank Jonathon Leathers #1 for ASUCD Senate.

Avi Singh

Avanindar Singh, Independent Candidate for ASUCD Senate

Singh for Students, Singh for Senate

My name is Avi Singh and I am running for ASUCD Senate as an Independent. The student government has not been effective at promoting the interests of the student community. This election presents an opportunity for a change in direction. As a Senator I intend to reestablish the legitimacy of our government by representing the entire student population.

I am running for Senate to provide students with a choice between "business as usual" and meaningful change. I will use the influence of ASUCD student government to advocate student issues in the city. I am concerned with student representation and, as a Senator I will continue to advocate Choice Voting in the City of Davis. I will also work to develop a strong relationship between the campus and the city.

My goals are backed by experience. I have worked to represent students on housing issues as a member of the City of Davis Social Services Commission and I have worked with community members to develop lines of communication between students and city officials. Regardless of the election outcome, I will continue to work as an advocate for students in the community.

I am a political activist on campus and currently serve as the President of the Davis College Democrats. This experience has refined my ability to coordinate activities on campus and has exposed me to the intricacies of student government. I have worked through DCD to encourage political discourse and engagement on campus and I will continue to work towards such goals as a Senator.

I believe that the student government has the potential to bring about meaningful changes around campus and raise awareness about issues that matter to students. I am running for Senate to make this potential a reality.

Eric Fox

For the past year I have been the Director of ASUCD Public Opinion Polls. In the time that I have been the director the Public Opinion Polling Unit has gone from life support to thriving. That is what I have done for one unit, and that is what I will do for all of ASUCD.

I feel that ASUCD has forgotten its primary purpose - to protect the interests of the students. In order to return ASUCD to where is should be, as the champion of the students, there are several courses of action which must be taken.

I know what needs to be done to make ASUCD work for the students and how to do it.

When elected I will:

  • Reduce spending by $10,000

  • Bring state officials to campus

  • Institutional Restructuring

  • Increase efficiency

  • Create Advertising Unit

  • Increase student input in city affairs

This election day make sure to vote for the independent candidate who knows how to fix the system, the candidate who can get things done.

THIS ELECTION DAY MARK THE BOX FOR FOX!

Behzad Farahbakhsh

Behzad Farahbakhsh

ASUCD Senate candidate

Hello distinguished student body of the 40th best school in the nation, my name is Behzad Farahbakhsh, a name that no one will be able to pronounce. I am currently running for one of the 8 ultra coveted senate spots this fine winter quarter. The major that I am working towards to getting on my Arnold Schwarzenegger signed diploma is NPB. This is not the first time I have pursued a senate position. In fact, during my freshmen year I ran on the misunderstood ticket known as Student Focus. I ran with 5 other senate hopefuls and a president/vice-president ticket; but, when the results came in, I was the only one who did not win. [Insert pathetic cry for attention]. So here I am today, my experiences, which will probably be overshadowed by my hideous picture include:

  • 2002-2003 Freshmen representative on the Executive Office
  • 2003-2004 Chief of Staff for the Executive Office
  • Involvement in Aggie Pack (Spirit Leader), ISCAO, Turbulence 2004

This quarter I am running on the one-man slate known as STUDENT B.E.H.Z.A.D. aka as an independent. My platform includes such exciting issues as:

Lowering STUDENT FEES BY 30 PERCENT and make ridiculous claims that will never be accomplished or even attempted (sounds familiar doesn't it?)

But honestly, my genuine concerns/promises are:

  • Cutting the fat: structuring ASUCD into a more efficient organization that relies less on numbers but more on expertise and qualified officials
  • Pre-emptive warning: Creating a student run "party warning" system that comes to your house first before the cops come, preventing any possible fines.

So remember kids' rank me NUMBER ONE because I'm an active leader, who is empowered and determined with a clear Focus on campus kindness.

Justin Hourany

Hello Aggie Nation, my name is Justin Hourany and I am running for the position of ASUCD Senate. Becoming a Senator is something that I am extremely dedicated in doing. I feel that it is my opportunity to help make a difference on the campus of UC Davis and the surrounding community. My goal is to make this experience of college, which we are all fortunate to be experiencing, the best that it can possibly be.

I look around Davis and see a largely diverse community. Although diverse, it is also largely segregated. This to me is a problem. We all have the opportunity to learn from the environment around us, but not all of us are. As Senator my goal is to provide avenues for students to learn and connect with cultures and ideas other than their own. My goal is to create more diversity programs on campus and in the community so that we can all benefit from the extremely diverse community that we live in.

I also have the goal of uniting the students together in order to achieve the best possible campus. ASUCD Senators are responsible for making very important decisions for the students of UC Davis. If elected as Senator I want to be the link that connects my fellow students with the decisions that are made in the ASUCD Senate. The only way to do that is by increasing the voice of the students. My goal is to create programs to inform students about ASUCD Senate and the responsibilities and decision making powers that Senators have. The voices of students need to be represented and I am just the student to that can do it.

So, remember to vote for Justin Hourany online February 23 & 24 @ http://elections.ucdavis.edu. I am dedicated to making a difference on campus and in the community. This is our school so let's make it the way we want.

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