USG Senator Overview
By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22
The USG election cycle for the 2019–2020 year has officially ended! 4,777 people voted this time around, representing 23.9% of the undergraduate student body. Were you one of them? Although not every student voted, the Senate is meant to represent all students — so getting to know the candidates is probably a good idea. Read more to find out more about each elected senator and what you can expect from them for the next academic year.
1. Isabel Washington (1436 Votes)
Isabel Washington: “I’m running to be your Senator because I aspire to execute campus-wide initiatives that will serve the needs of every population on campus.”
Major: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Class Standing: Sophomore
Unique Platform Points:
Reform policies on religious absences; students should not be forced to choose between their religion and their academics.
Work with RSVP and like-minded campus organizations to promote sexual health and lead an open discussion about sex and relationships on campus.
Isabel Washington is undoubtedly the one to look towards when it comes to the inclusion of underrepresented communities! Read more about their platform here!
2. Dario Arganese (1323 Votes)
Dario Arganese: “I am running for Senator, and if elected, I will dedicate all of my time and energy into being an ear for the entire student body to efficiently and effectively draft impactful legislation on campus.”
Major: Business Administration (Minor: Real Estate Development and Consumer Behavior)
Class Standing: Junior
Unique Platform Points:
Considering the free Lyft service is to ensure student safety, it should start earlier in the day to account for earlier sunsets to mitigate potential dangers of nighttime foot travel.
Provide an entire week of break for Thanksgiving rather than a long weekend.
Create and distribute “health packs” during challenging times in semester that may include objects such as, but not limited to stress balls, vitamin-C boosts, healthy snacks, water, gum, etc.
Dario Arganese is sure to focus on de-stressing the student experience and making school just a little bit easier. Read more about their platform here!
3. Trinity Moore (1277 Votes) + Julian Lin (1030 Votes)
Trinity Moore: “With your support, we would love to contribute our abiding work ethic and ability to malleably conform to the demands of any professional environment to the USG Senate.”
Major: Business Administration (Cinematic Arts Emphasis)
Class Standing: N/A
Julian Lin: “Hearing students’ stories is what continues to drive our efforts in promoting active advocacy.”
Major: Business Administration
Class Standing: N/A
Unique Platform Points:
Partner with USC transportation services to collaborate with Lyft in efforts to provide free transportation services for students to commute to and from their unpaid internships within a regulated radius surrounding campus.
Collaborate with organizations like Local USC Moms and Dads on call to ensure that all students feel welcomed and to create a safe and warm space for all.
Coordinate with local animal shelters to provide stress-relieving opportunities for students.
Revise USC’s overall housing policy to ensure that all undergraduate students are guaranteed housing for four years.
Promote accessibility of basic needs like equal access to food for all students living off-campus without a meal plan.
Moore and Lin will focus on improving the broad, overall student experience! Read more about their platform here!
4. Alexis Areias (1234 Votes) + Max Gomez (1206 Votes)
Alexis Areias: “Like all of you, I have seen the amazing opportunities USC has to offer, and I believe it is crucial that we make them easily accessible to all students.”
Major: Political Science
Class Standing: Sophomore
Max Gomez: “We occupy a special place both in the hearts of our Trojan Family and in our home neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles. It is on account of these special places we hold that we, as USC students, owe it to our Family and our Neighbors to take care of place, each other, and ourselves.”
Major: Political Science + Communication
Class Standing: N/A
Unique Platform Points:
Create a social media campaign aimed at sharing student vulnerabilities and admitting hardships.
Commit to USG representatives attending neighborhood council meetings.
Create an orientation module that concentrates on how students can interact with their neighborhood and how to go about life in LA.
Extend freshman forgiveness to transfer students.
You can count on Areias and Gomez to address those uncomfortable topics needed to improve the overall student experience! Read more about their platform here!
5. Mayra Rodriguez (1212 Votes)
Mayra Rodriguez: “As a USG Senator, I am ready to proudly represent my fellow Latinx and first-generation community, through increased representation and reinvigorating an inclusive campus environment.”
Major: Civil Engineering (Building Science Emphasis)
Class Standing: Sophomore
Unique Platform Points:
Transferring USCARD to Apple Wallet to increase accessibility & convenience, aid low-income students by avoiding financial charges for lost IDs, and ease flow of orientation events.
In regard to the dining hall, extend hours to aid students involved in late-night extracurriculars and studies, increase Kosher & Halal options, and offer biodegradable take-out containers to reduce food waste in an environmentally friendly manner.
Syllabus Bank for increased comfortability with class selection & detailed class descriptions on USC Course Catalogue/Web Registration, specifically for GESM classes.
You know those things where every student thinks: “Man, that would be so helpful but I doubt it would ever happen”? Mayra Rodriguez is trying to make it happen. Read more about their platform here!
6. Lennon Wesley III (1181 Votes)
Lennon Wesley III: “As an African American, first generation, dual-degree student, I feel that I can bring a unique perspective to the Undergraduate Student Government; helping the University to continue to grow and thrive.”
Major: Business Administration + Philosophy, Politics, and Law
Class Standing: Sophomore
Unique Platform Points:
I will focus on more defined policies with academic grading systems, policies that reconcile between students’ personal lives and their strenuous academic requirements, and a more open dialogue with students about professor qualifications and performance.
Increased programs and resources for minority student assemblies, greater display of minority cultures, and extended minority student inclusion in the admission processes.
University transparency, cohesion, and student representation in University decisions.
Lennon Wesley III will be the senator to speak up on University decisions and vouch for student input! Read more about their platform here!
7. Ruben Romeo (1167 Votes) + Gabriel Savage (1118 Votes)
Ruben Romeo: “I aspire to foster relationships at the individual level to show students that there is a student leader actively listening to their needs and constructing solutions.”
Major: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Class Standing: Junior
Gabriel Savage: “As a former senator, I can testify to the job’s demanding nature. I am well suited for another term because my experience as a senator has given me an eye for the problems that plague this campus.”
Major: Narrative Studies + Philosophy, Politics and Law
Class Standing: Junior
Unique Platform Points:
Increase the availability of gender-neutral bathrooms on-campus.
Advocate for a new name for VKC.
Provide menstrual products in on-campus restrooms and in freshman residential hall communal restrooms.
Make apartment meal plans non-mandatory and adjust pricing for meal plans to accommodate low-income students.
Romeo and Savage will be sure to keep the needs of underrepresented communities in mind! Read more about their platform here!
8. Kevin Gutierrez (1146 Votes)
Kevin Gutierrez: “USC has become my home away from home, and I am running for Senator because I want to ensure that all other students can share the same sentiment.”
Major: Neuroscience (Minor: Dance)
Class Standing: Sophomore
Unique Platform Points:
Create and strengthen the number of study spaces open to the USC community, especially around midterms and finals.
Create more green spaces on campus and support the protection of existing spaces.
Implement effective solutions to address food insecurity within the USC community.
Kevin Gutierrez aims to make USC feel like home for everyone and his plans to improve comfortability for the everyday student will definitely aid in doing so. Read more about their platform here!
9. Cathy Ding (1136 Votes)
Cathy Ding: “I am running to be on the Senate because I want to make a positive difference on our campus and make a change in areas I’ve felt needed improvements in my past three years here.”
Major: Computer Science and Business Administration
Class Standing: Junior
Unique Platform Points:
Increase availability for mental health services, including walk-ins, and reduce the number of outside referrals, incorporating more on-campus professional psychologists and psychiatrists.
Expansion of low-income student resources, such as partnerships with food banks, shelters, and local families.
Implementation of a regular stress-management program on campus, paralleling the current course USC offers but taking away the need to use course credits for that course.
Keep an eye out on Cathy Ding when it comes to health services! Read more about their platform here!
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