Two microphones were waiting for Associated Students presidential candidates Brandon Foley and Lorena Mejia inside the Cesar Chavez Student Center on Wednesday afternoon. Students filled the interior and waited for the candidates to prove themselves in becoming San Francisco State University’s next AS president.
Brandon Foley, the incumbent president and challenger Lorena Mejia, the current AS vice president of finance, both took the stage and answered questions regarding enrollment decline, class cuts, budget deficits and how they would take accountability for students.
With proposed cuts to California State University budgets, a proposed $375.2 million by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, SFSU is weighing the gravity of faculty and course reductions.
“We are facing difficult times, but that does not mean that we’re a bad university,” Mejia says. “The way that we’re able to maintain students is by listening to what they’re interested in, listening to what they want, so we can implement that and start to have conversations with our administrative office.”
Mejia wants the opinion of students who are both interested in enrolling at SFSU or who are already enrolled and feel discouraged about how the campus has changed drastically.
Foley emphasized two points.
“The first thing is course cuts. Courses are why we’re here. There is no direct way for students, student representatives and AS members to give feedback to the department chairs about what courses are offered,” Foley says. “Also, trying to expand the benefits even in a super tough budget year, the biggest one being the Gator Pass.”
Foley said that one way to retain students is to expand the Gator Pass, which students use for public transit, to include the summer and winter terms.
Victor Ramos, a Broadcasting and Electronic Communications Arts student, wants the next AS president to be active on campus and attentive to students’ needs.
“I want to see them five days a week, walking around,” Ramos said. “I want them to be as much as they can at all events and to advocate for all organizations.”
Based on audience reaction, students want to feel seen by the elected president who comes into term during the fall semester.
Mejia advocated for assisting students regarding their basic needs, ensuring that students who feel unrepresented are heard, and showing a face and action to the position as president.
This semester, students have faced fears of rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on campus and international students getting their visas revoked due to protesting. The two candidates were asked what they’d like to see done to address these issues.
“I think the number one thing as an elected student representative is making sure they know the rights that they have as an international student on a student visa and the resources around campus that can help them,” Foley said.
Foley mentioned that he has colleagues in AS who are international students. He said he would point students facing a visa revocation toward resources on campus.
Mejia, who has a long-term goal of becoming an immigration lawyer, has become especially passionate about this topic in recent months. If elected, Mejia hopes to take the problems students are facing and bring them to the state Capitol.
“Every person has a First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of activism,” Mejia said. “I’ve had this conversation with CSU leaders around California and they found ways to break those barriers. If somebody else is doing that, we can follow their lead example.”
Andrea Soto, VP of external affairs at AS, voiced her concern about the lack of community on campus.
“As a four-year university, what will you do to bring that community base onto campus?”
In response, Foley said that events and resources need to be heavily promoted. He wants students to come to campus for sports, games and organizations’ events, not just classes.
Students can cast their votes for their next AS president and other board members through the ballot they received in their school email. The voting period is from April 14-20.
