SGC-MMC candidates discuss platform at town hall

Jose Sirven (front left) and Javier Ortiz (far right) with other members of SGC-MMC at a town hall meeting in March 2018 after the party merger.

Guethshina Altena/Assistant News Director

 

Because only one party is running in the upcoming SGA elections, the student government council at the Modesto Maidique Campus held a town hall where students could meet the presidential and vice presidential candidates and get their questions answered.

Jose Sirven, the current vice president of the student government council at MMC is running for Student Government Council-MMC president alongside his VP candidate Sabrina Rosell.

“Sabrina and I wanna continue what we started this year from when I was Resident Hall Association president. I advocated for a housing shuttle, extending dining hours, and and having those kinds of conversations we can bring accountability within Student Government,” Sirven said.

Their goals also include meeting student needs outside of class, making sure that the students have homes, they’re healthy and they’re not going hungry. They want to make sure students have access to emergency aid programs, transportation and campus safety.

Sirven said he believes in educating students and letting them know about the big picture: why what they’re doing is important and what their role is in it.

There are some problems on campus that they want to fix if and when they take office. Sirven and Rosell want to help underserved students and meeting basic students’ needs when it comes to transportation and connecting students off-campus.

“I want to serve underserved students on campus as much as possible,” Sirven said. “I think SGA has amazing resources and we can use those resources to help a lot of those students.”

Sirven and Rosell said they want to make new structures while still utilizing the tools that are in place and partnering with existing departments.

“I think that it is really easy to walk into a position and have these big ideas and think okay I am gonna reinitiate all of this, when on the contrary, you have an institution that’s obviously working and functioning,” Rosell said. “Instead you can enhance where enhancements need to be made.”

Along with Sirven and Rosell, several senators running either independently or with the FIYOU party attended the town hall to speak and answer questions.

Rose Ingraham is a current Honors College senator. She is a freshman majoring in computer science who joined SGA to advocate for people who may not be able to speak for themselves.

“I decided to join SGA because I thought that everyone’s concerns should be addressed and everyone’s voice should be heard,” Ingraham said. “As an intern, I learned about the way that SGA works and the way that I can contribute.”

Other senators candidates are Samuel Santos, Dustin Duncan and Amelia Leon.

Samuel Santos is a political science major running for senator for the School of International and Public Affairs. Santos said that he saw the power SGA had and wanted to give SIPA students as many resources as he could. He wants to work on making small sized events where students can see what professionals in their fields do on a day to day basis.

Amelia Leon is running for senator for the College of Arts Sciences and Education. She is a biology major with a certificate in European and Norwegian studies. She said that Miami is vulnerable as the climate change is beginning to surge and her goal is to “make FIU greener.”

 

Featured Image courtesy of Gabriella Pinos/PantherNOW

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