Campaign Season: Cast Your Ballot Now

Student government hopefuls tout plans for the future in  advance of Monday’s voteNicholas SonnenburgTHE SANTA CLARAApril 24, 2014[dropcap]F[/dropcap]lashing screens and chalk drawings across campus indicate election time has arrived yet again at Santa Clara.The campaign season, which lasts only a week, began on Monday with a “Meet the Candidates” forum. Yesterday evening, the presidential tickets discussed the strong points of their individual candidacies, presenting their visions for the future of the school.This year, three tickets — Frankie Bastone and Erica Valle, Anaisy Tolentino and Patrick McDonell, and Paulette Rigali and Nick Reed — vie for the presidential and vice presidential positions.One theme common to all three campaigns is an emphasis on community. The three echoed each other’s sentiments on creating a more cooperative atmosphere to break down many of the barriers between student government, cultural organizations and interest clubs.Election day is Monday, April 28. Voting will be open on eCampus from 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. 

Frankie Bastone and Erica Valle

Bastone and Valle have each been involved in school leadership for three years. Bastone served on the ASG Community Development Branch for three years and was an orientation leader. Valle, who currently serves as the director of the Activities Planning Board, was also an orientation leader and a member of the Center for Student Leadership.Their campaign is driven by a desire to connect the Santa Clara community.“For me, it’s about opening up the doors for people to become involved,” said Valle. “We want to involve a lot more of the student body and hear from those who might not normally be involved in student government.”If elected, Bastone and Valle hope to broaden the Educated Partier program by making it a part of the freshman alcohol education course, encourage more public lectures from various departments on a variety of topics related to the university. They hope to instill a sense of gratefulness in Senior Week and other programs, which will translate into increased interaction with the students following their graduation.Driven by the motto, “Innovate, ignite, impact,” the two are trying to take the established traditions of Santa Clara and tailor them to the needs of the current student body.  

Anaisy Tolentino and Patrick McDonell

Tolentino, a former ASG senator and orientation leader, and McDonell, a former ASG senator and the current intramural coordinator, are hoping to increase the visibility of ASG.“Most students at Santa Clara probably have trouble naming even one of the senators that (represent) them at ASG,” said McDonell. “That’s unacceptable.”In keeping with this theme, Tolentino and McDonell hope to publish a quarterly ASG magazine that highlights the actions of the organization. They would also like to establish quarterly town hall meetings that would give students access to the executive cabinet of ASG.Continuing with the push for better communication, the two hope to publish a school-wide calendar.“Every year, everyone wants a calendar,” said Tolentino. “We just don’t understand how our university doesn’t have one.”The proposed calendar would be accessible to the variety of campus groups and would ease the task of informing the student body about the numerous events of the university community.Lastly, the duo explained that they would like to see students become more aware of the importance of the development and alumni offices, and of the role that employees, such as Benson Memorial Center staff, janitorial workers and the gardeners play in the operation of the school. 

Paulette Rigali and Nick Reed

Rigali, a former ASG senator and current chair of the Spirit and Traditions Committee, and Reed, a current ASG senator, hope to claim the respective roles of president and vice president.Rigali believes that athletics are essential in unifying the diversity of Santa Clara. “One of the things I have noticed at larger schools is the unifying factor of sports,” said Rigali. “We need to bring that to (Santa Clara).”Rigali and Reed hope to bring a more vibrant rally tradition to campus, facilitating tailgates outside of residence halls, particularly during Welcome Weekend. The pep band would also march with students through campus to whatever game being played.They call to bring team captains and sports alumni to the rallies to motivate the student body to attend more games.The ticket expressed interest in opening up the connections between classes at the university. “We don’t have a concrete goal that the four classes are working toward together as a whole,” said Reed. “We’re really trying to establish something that will bring everyone together.”The two hope to facilitate an intra-class project, such as a mural or a competition during Bronco Week that pairs freshmen with seniors and sophomores with juniors.

Contact Nicolas Sonnenburg at nsonnenburg@scu.edu .or call (408) 554-4852.