TMCC Student Government Association officers and senators 2015-2016. Photo by Nicole Shimabuku.
Students at Truckee Meadows Community College are now casting their votes for officers and senator candidates in the Student Government Association (SGA) annual election being held from April 4-15. New this year is a “Presidential Outreach Survey” at the end of the ballot.
Candidate bios are posted and a link to the official online ballot can be found on the SGA website.
Running for SGA executive officer positions are:
- President: candidate is David Turner II
- Vice President: candidate is Antonio Gonzalez
- Treasurer: candidates are Mevini Aponsu and Timothy D’Ambrosio (Alexander Silveria has recently withdrawn his application, too late for removal from the ballot)
- Secretary: candidate is Mailynn Santacruz
Senators represent Chair positions and academic divisions:
- Activities Chair: candidates are Sami Regalado, and Paul Syfers
- Clubs and Organizations Chair: candidate is Macario Mendoza-Carillo. Nahom Berhe Hago has withdrawn his application.
- Technical Sciences: candidate is Erik Bravo
- Business: candidates are Tyler Kazarian and Se’Leah Rushing
- Liberal Arts: candidate is David Misner
There are no candidates running for the Science Senator and At Large Senator positions. Following the election, the SGA will be accepting applications for these two spots, and will appoint a student to each position before the conclusion of this academic year.
Why is it important to vote?
Nicole Shimabuku, Coordinator of Student Activities and Leadership, said that it’s important for students to have a say in who represents them, making up the team of student leaders participating in college, community, and even state-level meetings and committees.
“The SGA president attends all the NSHE Board of Regents meetings,” Shimabuku said. “As a member of the SGA Senate, students have the opportunity to attend a conference and network with other colleges’ student government representatives.”
She notes that participation in elections is important because a portion of student fees, fifty cents per credit, goes toward the annual SGA budget of approximately $89,000, depending on enrollment. Executive officers will earn $4,000 per academic year, and senators make $1,920. The Activities Chair, and Clubs and Organizations Chair earn $2,400 due to an extra 10 hours per week needed to fulfill these two positions.
New this year is a Presidential Outreach Survey
The survey includes questions about students’ opinions on a variety of matters. Topics covered are:
- Textbook costs and the effect of these expenses on academic success
- Computer access and awareness of open educational resources
- Student SGA fees, and possibly increasing them to fund additional services such as events/activities and scholarships
- Interest in greater TMCC-specific media presence such as radio, newspaper, weekly videos
- Preference in student activities offered: food trucks, physical fitness, concerts, tutoring/studying
- Students’ interest in playing a role in negotiating bookstore and cafeteria contracts
- Satisfaction with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) services on campus such as automatic doors and accessibility
More information about SGA can be found by calling 775-673-7203.