In his bid to become the next mayor of San Francisco, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu visited SF State today as a part of a Youth Community Voices Policy Event. Students filled the tiny Rosa Parks E room located in the Cesar Chavez Student Center to discuss challenges and issues that students currently face such as tuition, books, health care, job hunting, campus safety and rent.

“He came here today to build up the youth voice and youth representation at State,” said 19-year-old Leah LaCroix, a volunteer for the David Chiu for Mayor campaign. “He really likes SF State and is down to come back.”

The meeting began approximately at noon and was scheduled for two hours, but ended around 1 p.m., when Chiu received a call to return to City Hall. However, students were able to speak on Chiu’s policies, made suggestions,and had five minutes to ask questions according to Samantha Roxas, 24, who works for his Events Committee.

“The room was packed and there was standing room only,” she said. “He wants to build a platform for students and asks for them to get involved more in student government.”

Chiu was elected to represent District 3 in 2008 and became president of the Board of Supervisors in 2009. According to his volunteers, his campaign focuses on the concept of community governance – the idea that ownership of San Francisco’s most troubling issues rests with the community as a whole.