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On Thursday, Mustang News sat down with four presidential candidates and 23 candidates running for the ASI Board of Directors.
Active campaigning for presidential and Board of Directors candidates began Saturday at 5 p.m. This article includes each candidate’s mission statement.
Colin Shea
Colin Shea, current ASI chief of staff and a business administration junior, wants to close the communication gap between university officials and students.
“From my experience, there are so many things [university officials are] willing to do to improve that student experience. But oftentimes, they just don’t know as they’re not students themselves,” Shea said.
Shea hopes to improve transparency around ASI decisions through increased student outreach.
“I want you all to have that opportunity to share to make sure the 44 student government members are able to represent the nearly 23,000 students,” Shea said. “That’s why we need to talk to our constituents so they feel connected with the decisions being made.”
Acknowledging the combined annual ASI and UU fees of about $1,200 per student, Shea said he wants ASI to both host its own events and support other campus groups to uplift students.
“With the kind of mindset that I have, I’m always looking to make sure that students get the most value out of their money,” Shea said.
As an out-of-state student and president of the Interfraternity Housing Council, Shea hopes to bring these unique perspectives to the role of ASI president.
Reagan Denny
Reagan Denny, the current Board of Directors chair and an agricultural engineering junior, spent the last year as one of the three officers managing ASI’s $20 million budget. Her role also involves serving as the official liaison between the board and administration.
“The key with me is that it’s not going to take me six months to build a relationship with President Armstrong or the mayor,” Denny said. “I’m ready to hit the ground running today to make sure that we have the relationships that we need to be listened to in those rooms where decisions are being made about our entire future.”
Denny hopes to prioritize students’ “rights, resources and relationships.” Last year, Denny authored a policy to protect scholarships for Dreamers and Indigenous students when they faced funding cuts.
“I think it’s incredibly important that we protect these groups at Cal Poly because they’re what make Cal Poly what it is,” Denny said. “The beauty of Cal Poly is that we come from all over the world and get to come here to be educated.”
Marc Cabeliza
In his two years with ASI, agricultural engineering junior Marc Cabeliza increased club and organization funding by $10,000.
“As Chair of the University Union Advisory Board, I was able to increase study spaces by allowing the UU to be open 24/7,” Cabeliza said. “We want to ensure students get the quality of services that they deserve.”
Additionally, Cabeliza hopes to work with city officials to create a new bus route from Cal Poly directly to downtown San Luis Obispo.
“For first and second years, it’s hard to get off campus,” Cabeliza said. “If I were in their shoes, I would want someone sticking up for me and obviously making sure that students are represented while all these changes are happening.”
Cabeliza plans to work alongside administration to create policy and events that promote connections in the student body.
“As a first-generation student, I know how important community is here,” Cabeliza said. “I believe I’ve been able to find that, and I hope to be able to do that for all the students who go here.”
Alexis Espinoza
Industrial technology and packaging junior Alexis Espinoza brings unique experience as a DEI office intern, OCOB Ambassador, Latinx Business Student Association chair and a member of the HSI task force to his bid for presidency.
“With that, I’ve gained a lot of communication and networking skills, a lot of things I want to be able to bring to the table for all students,” Espinoza said. “I’ve also never been in ASI, so I think it’s really important to have a fresh perspective in the organization.”
Espinoza recognizes the value of student organizations on campus and aims to prioritize them if elected.
“I spent the majority of my time at La CASA my first and second year, because that was my community,” Espinoza said. “But I know a lot of students find it elsewhere, whether it’s professional or cultural clubs. Supporting these is just one way I’d help students find community on campus.”
Espinoza also hopes to utilize his connections with local property managers and on-campus housing faculty to create a ‘housing hub’ resource, especially for first-time tenant students.
This article was updated at 5:32 p.m. to add further candidate information.