SOLANO – As part of what could have been an exciting election cycle, I set out to cover a story that would help get the word out about ASSC elections to see more student participation. What I expected to be an easy, communicative journey that could motivate others to get involved in student government proved challenging.
This being my first ASSC electoral campaign, I wanted to hit the ground running to meet with potential candidates to learn about any policies and ideas they would want to implement as change on campus.
Never did I expect such an initiative to be met with as much hesitance and resistance.
As welcoming as the Associated Students of Solano College aim to be, communication with the press proved to be uncharacteristically difficult.
After a month of multiple attempts to arrange face-time with candidates, reaching out through the official ASSC Instagram page, and several emails, my pursuit proved fruitless. But as luck would have it, an open forum with the student candidates was scheduled to meet in Building 1400 for an hour, having been announced with only a day’s notice.
Not wanting to miss the chance to follow a lead, I snuck out of class for 20 minutes to do whatever I could to introduce myself and set up possible interviews that would highlight short profiles on those on the ballot. To my dismay, I arrived too late as they were tearing down their setup and getting ready to head out.
It was during this time that I met their advisor, Denise Martinez, who is the Interim Director of Student Development and Engagement. After exchanging introductions, I inquired about a possible follow-up with the candidates but was told that this was the dedicated time for such a request.
Not wanting to give up (and with my class still ongoing), I did everything I could to convince them otherwise and was reluctantly given another email to try my luck with. After one candidate proposed to meet after May, after the election had already run its course, I tried to stress the need to get the article out before election week to help increase student awareness and participation.
It all struck me as rather odd. Why wait until after an election cycle to meet with the press? Why not help spread the word around campus so other students could get involved? With each candidate running unopposed, it left me jumping to my own conclusions. However, I decided to keep an open mind when I was formally invited to attend the next ASSC meeting.
When the day ultimately came, I was excited to finally be able to fulfill my duty and showed up eager to get the meeting underway. After three hours and several heated topics up for debate, I got an early look into the incoming student senate as they shared their views as opposed to the current administration.
With time running out, I took this opportunity to request once more the chance to meet with the newly elected student senate, and just when I thought my big break had come, I was rushed through one interview that lasted all of six minutes. With the rest of the interviews having to be done through email.
In the end, I’m left wondering what could have been. An entire election cycle lost to miscommunication, whether intentional or not, now left in the shadows of an idle pursuit.
Student government is meant to represent students. As one myself, I put that over my duty as a journalist because in the end, we’re all still working towards the education we deserve. Just like our voices deserve to be heard.
As I told each one of these candidates, y/our stories matter. If we truly want proper representation, then we must fulfill our duties to the people first. People who are just like us, with the same goals and aspirations.
May the word that never got out make waves around campus. Let more students rise to the occasion. If we truly want the best for ourselves, it starts with giving our best.
Once again, I would like to personally thank each and every person I interacted with during this process and appreciate the lessons learned. And a special shout-out to my colleague Abril Tellez for their continued support.
Let’s work together and build a better college experience moving forward so that the next elections can bring out the best in students.
