The Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) presidential candidates were made public at ASI’s media day. Here’s what you need to know about the two candidates, who will be the only students running for president if there are no write-in candidates.
An open forum for the presidential candidates and Board of Directors candidates will be held on Tuesday, April 12 at 11 a.m. in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (UU). Voting for both will occur on April 20-21.
Name: Jana Colombini
Major: Agricultural science
Year: Junior
Hometown: Linden, Calif.
Experience:
As a third-generation Cal Poly student, Colombini said she began to love the campus from a young age.
“I decided to run for ASI president because I’m really passionate about Cal Poly,” Colombini said. “I really have a need to serve students, and I feel like I am the best person to do that job.”
Colombini grew up in Linden, Calif. which exposed her to the world of agriculture. She said she developed a passion for agriculture and teaching, leading her to apply to Cal Poly under agricultural science with the hopes of becoming a high school agriculture teacher.
Colombini has been involved with ASI since her freshman year. She served as the vice chair for the Board of Directors, director for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science on the ASI Board of Directors and chair of ASI’s “It’s On Us” committee for sexual assault awareness.
“I see what goes on behind the scenes and I see the processes that it takes to get things accomplished,” Colombini said. “You have to know how ASI works in order to be the ideal presidential candidate.”
Aside from ASI, Colombini has worked with the Alumni Relations Office, is participating in Week Of Welcome (WOW) training to become a WOW leader and is an Alpha Gamma Delta member.
If elected, Colombini plans can be summed up in three words: Care, communicate and connect.
- Care: Colombini said she wants to install better lighting around campus, bring Escort Vans back and continue advocacy for awareness for issues such as mental health and sexual assault. Inclusivity is another topic she said she feels strongly about, and wants Cal Poly voices to be heard.
- Communicate: Colombini plans for transparency between ASI and students, Colombini said. She said students have the right to know exactly where their money is going and to be constantly updated with what ASI is doing. “I want to make sure students really care about what ASI is doing because we’re really here to serve them,” Colombini said.
- Connect: Colombini said she wants bridge the gap between students and administration, as well as Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo community. She said she hopes students will become more involved in voting and their city council to take control of what happens in San Luis Obispo, as well as strive to build a working relationship between students and administration.
Name: Isaias Diaz
Major: Mechanical engineering
Year: Senior
Hometown: Folsom, Calif.
Experience:
Diaz wants Cal Poly to be the best possible college environment for students. If elected, he plans to improve the student environment by increasing community relations, creating more diversity and inclusive environment and enriching the campus social scene.
“Our college environment is so important because that is what contributes to student success,” Diaz said. “I want to focus on a safe environment where students have the ability to grow and develop.”
For the past four years, Diaz has been a member of the Cal Poly wrestling team. His involvement has earned him a spot on the Big West Council as well as the NCAA National Student Advisory Committee. At the Big West Conference in Indianapolis, the motto was “Our Voice,” which Diaz wants to apply to Cal Poly so that all students’ voices are heard.
“What I want to make sure is that students are represented from every section of campus,” Diaz said. “If the ASI Board is more diverse, then you can really make actions that will be beneficial for everyone and not take action that caters to just one perspective.”
As for diversity, Diaz wants to increase the amount of inclusive activities on campus. His plans range from implementing a school-wide talent show to increasing student attendance at sporting events or even starting a pageant.
The lack of a relationship between Cal Poly and the community is muffling the student’s voice in San Luis Obispo, according to Diaz. Therefore, he wants to bridge this gap by encouraging students to attend city council meetings.
Both Diaz’s plans of bettering community relations and increasing inclusivity are encompassed in his goal to garner more social interaction on campus. With new dorms being built, there is a need for more social opportunities for students on campus.
Moving activities toward campus does not mean alcohol must be present. However, Diaz is in favor of a wet campus to build a safe social scene for students. This controlled environment wouldn’t only benefit the student body, but would decrease any disruptions in the community as a result of student socializing.