Author: Dean DeChiaro
In last week’s general elections, Aliza Goldsmith (sophomore) was elected the next president of the Associated Students of Occidental College (ASOC), becoming both the first woman and first rising junior to hold the office since the ASOC’s reconstitution in 2005. Goldsmith previously served as both a first-year and sophomore senator, and as the senate funding chair.
“I’m incredibly humbled and honored to be in this position, and am looking forward to a hard year of work ahead,” Goldsmith said. “I am also very excited about the group of senators I will get to work with, and can’t wait to get started with them all.”
Next year’s senate is mostly made of up of students new to ASOC. The only returning members are current senators Jessie Durrett (first-year), Kyle Boers (first-year), Campus Wide Senator Michael Clegg (sophomore) and Junior Class Senator Kasandra Griswold. New members include Alex Acuna (first-year), Alex Miller (first-year), Nicholas Conti (sophomore), Kanika Tua’one (sophomore) and Wynette Whitegoat (sophomore).
While all of the senate races were contested, Goldsmith ran for ASOC’s executive position unopposed, raising some concern among several officers, including Goldsmith herself, about apathy within the student body.
“I’m extremely disappointed that no one ran against me,” she said. “I think it shows that people recognize that it’s not a glamorous job, but I wish some more people had run.”
Current ASOC President Andrew DeBlock (senior) echoed Goldsmith’s concerns, but expressed little worry regarding Goldsmith’s election. “I think it’s unfortunate that there isn’t more competition for the position of ASOC President,” he said in an e-mail interview. “[But] Aliza is exceptionally well qualified to serve as ASOC president. Based on what I’ve seen this year, Aliza will be very successful next year.”
Much of the campus’ politics need to be re-envisioned, said Goldsmith.
“The key to success next year is going to be the creation of a student government that’s more accessible and understandable to any member of the student body,” she said. She suggested, as a starting point, the creation of regular town hall meetings for students to express their opinions and wishes to the student government.
Goldsmith also conveyed her goal to bring important issues to the student body. “Things like increased growth [of the student body], overwhelming class sizes and the lack of accountability on behalf of some administrators are all issues that I’d like to effectively mobilize the student body around,” she said.
DeBlock agreed. “Providing student services for this large group of students, as well as serving as effective advocates to ensure the college provides for the needs of the student body, will certainly be among ASOC’s top priorities,” he said.
Clegg, who will enter his second semester as a senator in the fall, identified miscommunications with the administration as the cause of many problems facing student government. To achieve a successful relationship, he said the ASOC must be able to work effectively with the administration.
“I participated in an interview with [incoming Dean of Students] Jorge Gonzalez, and I was very impressed with the amount of value he put on the happiness of the student body,” he said. “I think [Gonzalez] and Dean Avery and President Veitch are going to be very willing to work with us next year.”
In addition to the elections, students voted in favor of an amendment that would effectively transform the structure of the General Assembly, making the meetings twice a semester rather than five times, and ordering that an Honor Board juror be in attendance.
The amendment will facilitate the student body’s further infusion into the sphere of campus politics, which is the ASOC’s ultimate goal, according to DeBlock.
“The end goal of the amendment is to ensure students feel empowered to advocate for themselves with student government’s support. This can’t be accomplished if students aren’t aware of the ASOC structures open to them,” he said.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
