The position of student body president is contested this semester by two applicants that have both represented the Latinos Unidos Student Association, but have different leadership methods. The final day to cast a vote is May 23.
The two contestants for president are Ian Rodrigues, Vice President of the Associated Students of Citrus College, and Fernando Flores, an ASCC senator.
Flores said there are pros and cons for either of them being elected.
“I would say he (Rodrigues) is more on the conservative side,” Flores said. “I am more on the experimental side, maybe just because I’m young blood, I’ve never had any detriment from overspending yet.”
When describing his opponent, Rodrigues said Flores “makes Bernie Sanders look conservative.”
Rodrigues describes himself as “the legitimate man of the people” because he said he makes an effort to listen to people with different views than his own and visits many clubs.
Flores is an art major who has served one term in student government. Rodrigues has been involved in student government for about four semesters.
Rodrigues said Flores may be ready to be president next year, but as of now he thinks Flores does not have enough experience.
He offered Flores his support if he accepted the position of treasurer instead of president.
Rodrigues said he told Flores “Lets focus on the things we agree on … What did he do? He went and ran against me … he wants to go fistacuffs with me.”
Flores said he was not originally going to run for president, but changed his mind when another student decided not to run for president.
“Ian (Rodrigues) offered me the position of treasurer with no contingencies,” Flores said in an email. “The first time he offered I was not considering the run for president. The second time he offered, I declined. It was not until Philippe Schicker decided to drop from the run that I decided to give it a shot.”
As ICC president, Rodrigues said he thinks he did a “50/50 job” and would have liked to do more. “You can’t please everybody,” Rodrigues said.
Rodrigues said he doesn’t like it, but in order to ensure the success of certain events, like the annual powwow, other events sometimes need to be cut. “That’s the reality of it,” Rodrigues said.
One such event that had to be cut was a conference for Hispanic and Latino leaders in Buena Park that would have taken place this semester, but the cost of about $2,500 compromised other events like the powwow.
Rodrigues said it was a unanimous board decision to cut the event.
“As a hispanic that killed me,” Rodrigues said.
Despite their differences, both candidates represented L.U.S.A. to the ICC.
The Indigenous Student Association chose to support Flores for his involvement and support of clubs and their activities.
Business major Rita Rivera said that the I.S.A. chose to support Flores because “he’s been very supportive of all clubs since he’s been here.”
Isabella Reyes, ISA president and child development and behavioral science major, said that Rodrigues was initially against the powwow because of its cost of $3,000.
At their fundraising craft fair May 16, they handed out slips of paper that read “Vote May 22nd and 23rd! Fernando Flores for president”, as well as Makayla Pedroza for vice president and Ruben Availa for liaison.
Availa said that he did not know Rodrigues well enough to speak to his character, but knows Flores from a class they took together. Availa described Flores as “kind” and “passionate.”
When asked if he would accept a position other than president, Rodrigues said “If I don’t think I can do the job efficiently I’m not gonna do it.”
Contending students spoke at the Candidate Forum May 15 in the Campus Center Mall to a small crowd. Both candidates for president listed student involvement at events as one of their main concerns.
At the forum Flores said that he attempted to improve student turnout to campus events with some success this semester by hosting an Earth Day related event outside, rather than indoors, to get the attention of students walking on their way to class.
Flores said that method helped boost numbers and he will keep trying to raise student involvement by experimenting with different methods.
Rodrigues repeatedly emphasized unity during the forum. He said he believes that unifying the students will improve turn out to campus events and he plans to do this in the form of a celebration of religious differences and similarities with tables representing “the major religions.”
When other candidates mentioned unity, Rodrigues insinuated that they were using his phrase and credited himself for coming up with the topic of unity.
At one point during the forum, Rodrigues said that communication concerning campus events needed to be improved because he was not sure when the forum would take place and had to ask someone for the specific time.
When Flores was handed the mic to answer a question, he commented that if people checked their email, they would have known the exact time of the forum.
The candidates were instructed to only answer questions given by the moderator and not address other candidates by name as not to turn the forum into a debate.
Moderator and philosophy professor Jamie Love said that there were a few “mild pot-shots” but “by and large they held to it quite well.”
After the forum Flores described Rodrigues’ answers to the moderator as “long winded.”
To Rodrigues, Flores wasn’t specific enough.
“For someone who preaches inclusivity he didn’t say much,” Rodrigues said. “We need to be specific.”
However, Flores said he thinks his answers during the forum were “short and sweet.”
Flores presented himself as someone who will listen to students’ needs and experiment with ways to help.
Rodrigues argued that a president needs to be proactive, not reactive.
Students can vote in the student lounge located in the ED building, room 170. A voting station with information about the candidates and computers will be available May 23 until 8 p.m.
