Sage Kiernan-Sherrow |  News Editor

Students have until 8 p.m. on May 19 to submit their ballots for the Oregon primaries. But here at Western, students have the ability to contribute their votes in another important election — student government. ASWOU is Western’s collective student government which mimics that of the national government system, with three branches — the executive cabinet, judicial board and the senate — each with their own unique roles in assisting the campus community. Each year, students have the opportunity to vote in the ASWOU elections and decide who will be representing them in the upcoming year. This year, the positions for President, Vice President, Senate President, Judicial Administrator, Justice and Incidental Fee Committee Member are open and students are able to vote on WOUEngage through May 8. Students can learn more about the candidates and their positions by visiting wou.edu/aswou/elections/ or by reading the following:

Candidate for President: N.J. Johnson

Johnson currently serves as the Director of State and Federal Affairs under ASWOU’s executive cabinet. As such, he states that he is “the only candidate for President that has experience working within the executive branch of ASWOU and with the Oregon State Legislature,” where he has led a team in advocating for student needs. As President, he plans to continue “pushing our legislative priorities,” which include fighting “for higher state funding, food insecurity solutions and a DREAMers access program,” he says. He values collaboration and wants to continue to work with campus organizations as well as the Oregon Student Association to “promote the goals of students across the state of Oregon.” As President, he will strive for fairness, transparency, and inclusivity and stand up to the WOU administration when these values are jeopardised and students are undervalued. He is endorsing Maria Barerra for Vice President, Kevin Figueroa for Senate President, and Steven Richmond for Judicial Administrator. 

Candidates for Vice President: Maria Barerra and Litzy Loeza

Maria Barerra: 

Former Director of Multicultural Advocacy in ASWOU Maria Barerra is a DACA Recipient and a first generation college student. She is also an avid and vocal advocate against social injusticesI was able to overcome adversity through my college experience at Western. The importance of her advocacy is why she wants to run for Vice President. Her qualifications include holding numerous leadership positions such as positions through the UNIDOS Club, as a Multicultural Mentor, and an Oregon Student Association board member. She strives to “ensure that all students are being represented” and “promote equality and recognition,” while continuing “the efforts of providing a physical and permanent safe space for students to be able to express their identities and culture freely,” she says. She has endorsed N.J Johnson for President, Kevin Figueroa for Senate President, and Steven Richmond for Judicial Administrator. 

Litzy Loeza:

Loeza is an experienced student leader “working for growth, transformation, and inclusiveness.” Previously, she worked with Latinx and Immigrant Communities in Portland Community College’s DREAMer Center. As a Psychology and Sociology major, she is passionate about fighting social injustices and does so through her role as a current ASWOU Senator. She also holds multiple leadership roles through the MECHA Club and as a Multicultural Representative mentor. She believes “our community can create an inclusive environment, support the rights of students, and make educational success attainable” and promises to use her platform to “advocate for our rights as students and promote changes within our education system to ensure student success.” She endorses Marilyn Maldonado-Dominguez as President, Liz Marquez Gutiererrez as Senate President, and Denisse Carrasco as Judicial Administrator.

Senate President Candidates: Kevin Figueroa, Liz Marquez, and Diana Ordaz

Kevin Figueroa

Figueroa is a first generation college student looking to “empower student leaders to promote change for those who also struggle.” During the 2018-19 school year, he served as the Director of State and Federal Affairs through ASWOU and has significant experience working to create legislation beneficial for students. He strives for cooperation between all branches of student government to ensure productivity and wants to remain involved with advocacy even after graduation. He endorses N.J. Johnson for President, Maria Barerra for Vice President, and Steven Richmond for Judicial Administrator.

Liz Marquez

Marquez has served on the ASWOU Senate for over two years and has developed experience in writing and sponsoring legislation “to protect students’ rights and improve student life.” She considers higher education accessibility and affordability to be an important issue and has advocated for this issue through her previous position as a member of the Tuition and Fee Advisory Committee. She also brought these issues to the capitol, where she worked alongside the Oregon Student Association to educate legislators about their relevance. She is determined to “work on issues that students have expressed interest in,” and wants to “encourage and empower students to get involved and participate in the ASWOU senate.” She endorses Marilyn Maldonado Dominguez for President, Litzy Loeza for Vice President, and Denisse Carrasco for Judicial Administrator. 

Diana Ordaz

A “passionate and hardworking student,” and “a friend to all,” Ordaz believes that her open-mindedness and caring personality makes her an excellent candidate for Senate President. She chose to run for Senate President because she “heard so many students’ issues and can relate to many of them.” She is committed to helping the WOU community by communicating “(students’) ideas, thoughts and issues,” through her platform.

Judicial Administrator Candidates: Denisse Carrasco and Steven Richmond

Denisse Carrasco

Carrasco says she has felt “underrepresented and not understood” as a first-generation college student. As such, she feels strongly about making sure students feel a part of the campus community, and is dedicated to uplifting “underrepresented communities and their diverse needs.” She has devoted hundreds of hours to organizations like MECHA and ASWOU, and is an advocate for multiculturalism as an MCR mentor. Carrasco hopes to be a  “support system for students and student clubs,” and to increase outreach for these clubs which “enhance the student experience at WOU.” She feels “it is important for WOU students to feel a sense of empowerment, support, and belonging, in any institution they attend,” and is endorsing Marilyn Maldonado Dominguez for President, Litzy Loeza for Vice President, and LIz Marquez for Senate President. 

Steven Richmond

Richmond is a future law school student with “an extensive background in legal work” due to working for two Oregon state representatives. He founded the Jackson County Young Democrats Caucus, was Vice President for South Medford’s Debate Team, and was Secretary for WOU’s Model United Nations Club. He considers himself to have a “deep appreciation, respect, and care for the judicial process.” As Judicial Administrator, he plans to make sure all clubs are treated fairly and hold all ASWOU officials accountable to the constitution. He assures that “this campaign isn’t about personal goals or pushing an agenda, it’s about helping ASWOU become the best possible government it can be for its students by upholding fairness, inclusion, and justice for everyone equally.” He endorses N.J Johnson for President, Maria Barrera for Vice President, and Kevin Figueroa for Senate President.

Justice Candidate: Taylor Bartholomew

A current Sophomore and Criminal Justice Major, Bartholomew has an interest in working with “individuals within the system that are in need of psychological rehabilitation, specifically victims of abuse and other trauma-related events.” She has “always enjoyed providing an ear to individuals that need emotional support and am always willing to help establish boundaries when need be.” As ASWOU Justice, Bartholomew plans to provide students with a fair and balanced Justice system.

Incidental Fee Committee Member Candidate: Makana Waikiki

Waikiki says” a vote for me would be a vote for yourselves.” She wants to vocalize every students concerns when it comes to their fees and strives to make informed decisions about the IFC process. She wants to establish a legacy where future IFC members are provided with the best tools and plans in place so that “every student gets everything they should out of their IFC funds.”

Students also have the ability to “write in” any person they think would be qualified for the positions. Students have until Friday, May 8 to submit their votes and results will be released shortly thereafter. Anyone with questions can email aswouelections@mail.wou.edu for more information.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of ASWOU