At Palomar’s Associated Student Government Election Forum Tuesday, April 12 in the Student Union, two candidates answered questions from an audience of 8 students and faculty members.
One of the two candidates, Malik Spence, is not competing against anyone for the position of ASG President. This will be Spence’s second consecutive term as ASG President.
“I plan to continue the good work, continue the relationships with other colleges, and inspire more people,” Spence said.
On the biggest issues affecting students on Palomar’s campus, Spence said: “Counseling is a repeated issue for students. Transferring, keeping up with an education plan and retention rates are the biggest area to aid.”
When Spence was questioned about whether he would side with the Board of Governors or the student population regarding the smoking fines, Spence said he is adamant about representing and siding with the students even if he agrees with the Board. Spence ended the forum by saying that his motto for next year as president is “always seek to improve.”
The second of the two candidates, Amber Bancroft, is running for ASG Senator. Bancroft, just like Spence, is the only candidate running for the potential elected position. Bancroft is ending her second semester at Palomar and, once elected, will be serving as a first-time ASG member.
“I want to get the ASG voice out there, get more involvement in ASG, and address the vending machine complaints,” Bancroft said, adding that although she doesn’t have any experience being on a student government, she has plenty of skills from her volunteer work at a hospital and organizing the annual L.A. River Clean Up project.
Bancroft ended her plans for senator by saying, “If you commit to something, follow through.”
Other ASG positions, such as the vice president’s seat, remain open since no one ran for them. The vice president position is empty and will filled by an ASG member once Palomar begins its Fall 2016 semester.
Voting for the positions of President and Senator is open for students beginning on Monday, April 18 at 8 a.m. until Thursday, April 21 at 11:59 p.m. online at www.palmar.edu.
