On Wednesday, April 22, Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Executive Director Barnaby Peake announced the results of the ASI general election in front of a small crowd gathered by the golden eagle statue on the main walkway. The election, which was held between April 14 to April 18, was to determine the newest members of ASI and U-SU Board of Directors.
A total of 1,893 verified votes were received and counted, marking an uptick in student engagement when it comes to the student government elections.
Notably, the election was held to determine the next president of ASI. The race was between three candidates, current president Yahir Flores, vice president for external affairs Arwa Hammad, and newcomer Jose Sandoval. Out of a total of 1,653 votes, Arwa Hammad won 54%, earning her the title of ASI president.
Hammad was formerly a representative of ASI to the California State Student Association where she worked to communicate concerns from the state, and the CSU system, to the ASI and students at Cal State LA. In addition, Hammad is an external affairs intern for the office of Gov. Gavin Newson, and is part of the Mellon Mays Fellowship on the Cal State LA campus.
However, what caught the eyes of students was Hammad’s goal to create a more transparent and honest ASI. At the Presidential Forum held on April 14, the three candidates offered the community a look into their goals and aspirations. This was the first forum held in years due to the lack of candidates running for the position.
“I feel like we’ve been seeing a sort of trend of ASI and the student body having a disconnect over time,” Hammad said. “I think instead of trying to speak more idealistically, we need to have actual action items that will occur.”
Hammad’s solution for a more transparent ASI is to introduce a more streamlined feedback forum, and reintroducing EagleConnect to assign an ASI representative to liaison between them and student run organizations on campus. Her goal is also to create a monthly report for ASI members regarding their activities, and livestreaming board of directors meetings.
“I want to make ASI more transparent, more responsive, and way more connected to students,” said Hammad. “Overall, I want students to feel like ASI is actually working for them and with them, not just existing in the background.”
Peake announced the six representatives now elected to liaison between their respective colleges, and the ASI. Among these representatives, Aisha Gama of the college of health and human services received the most votes with 236 votes.
Among these colleges, the College of Natural and Social Sciences received the most total votes at 410, with Tyler Cheng receiving 174 to claim victory. Despite this turnout, some colleges such as the College of Ethnic Studies only received a total of 18 votes for its representative.
This article was first published in the April 25 print edition of the University Times.
