Candidates for Santa Clara University’s Associated Student Government executive positions debated how to rebuild student engagement, improve campus life and strengthen ASG’s internal culture during a debate held Tuesday evening. The presidential and vice presidential tickets, Laura Da Costa Locatelli ’27 and Bella Rene ’27, and Mateo Coulson ’28 and Johnathan Amidi ’27, both centered their campaigns on making ASG more visible and responsive to students. The debate also featured Addison Warhank ’28, who is running for Senate chair. A major theme of the night was ASG’s struggle to connect with students outside the organization. “We all know that ASG is in a crisis,” Amidi said, pointing to low interest in student government positions and limited engagement from the broader student body. He said he and Coulson plan to reach out to every campus group, including RSOs, CSOs and Greek life leadership. Coulson discussed specificities of their campaign such as how they will focus on social life, community and student well-being. Their platform includes increasing support for clubs, extending library hours during finals, bringing more guest speakers to campus and improving visibility for student organizations and athletic events. Da Costa Locatelli and Rene also emphasized outreach during the debate, but focused more on affordability and collaboration. Their goal is to hold frequent tabling hours as president and vice president, as well as work with ASG public relations on member spotlights, using campus networks to bring more students into conversation with ASG. “We want to be seen as people anyone can come up to,” Rene said. “If people ask us to do something, we will do it.” Da Costa Locatelli said their campaign plans to make ASG feel like a place where students can actually make change. Affordability was also a topic of conversation throughout the debate. “If they’re shown that ASG is a place to carry out projects and make palpable change, they will be more interested and inclined to be a part of it,” Da Costa Locatelli said.

The Associated Student Government presidential race is shaping up around how to rebuild student trust and engagement, with two tickets offering distinct approaches to leadership and impact. Mateo Coulson ’28 and running mate Johnathan Amidi ’27 are campaigning to strengthen school spirit and expand student governments’ presence across campus. Their platform emphasizes outreach through clubs, student organizations and social initiatives, arguing that improvements to student life can have the most immediate effect. “If we can’t get that much done through legislation, the best thing we can do is improve student life,” Coulson said. Amidi highlighted Coulson’s interpersonal style, describing him as someone who “goes out of his way to talk to students like they matter.” Their proposals also include increasing direct engagement with student groups and making ASG more visible in everyday campus life. Opposing them are Laura Da Costa Locatelli ’27 and Bella Rene ’27, who center their campaign on outreach, equity, and collaboration. Their platform focuses on improving communication between the student government and students while addressing affordability and inclusivity. “I feel like ASG is doing so many amazing things, but it’s not necessarily something the student body is always aware of,” Da Costa Locatelli said. Rene emphasized the importance of making ASG feel more approachable and relatable to students, especially in how representatives connect with their peers. “I think also, if people feel like the people at ASG are their friends,” Rene said. “We’re all just students, just like everyone else.” Their proposals include expanding awareness of campus resources and launching a student-run textbook exchange program to reduce costs. Rene emphasized collaboration with admin and student groups to turn student concerns into action. Both tickets identified low student engagement and skepticism about the ASG's effectiveness as key challenges, pointing to declining participation and limited awareness of initiatives. Students can ask questions of all the candidates at 6 p.m. today in Charney Hall, room 106. 📝: Dylan Ryu 📷: @elainez_ly + Dylan Ryu