Written for The Argo by Jared Keane

On Tuesday, April 4, members of the Student Senate gathered in the Campus Center to provide students the opportunity to learn about the students running in the upcoming Senate elections. Each member gave a speech to students to inform them of why they would be well-suited to serve the Stockton community. 

Newly-appointed Senator Kaitlynn Bearden spoke about her plans as to why should she be elected, stating that “I would like to work with the Dean of Students to help with Academic Affairs as much as I can.”

Calista Quinn, another new Senator, spoke on her desire to support first-gen students. “I would want them to know what’s available to them through events, social media, and networking. I am also going to be running for the Public Relations Committee,” said Quinn.

The following members who gave their input are existing student senators, re-running for positions on the senate. The Student Senate claims to always welcome a new change in its members, whether that be new faces, or returning senators aiming for a different position and perspective.

Senator Gianna Terpolilli spoke about her position on the Academic Affairs committee, stating that “I will help students understand the academic resources available to them by working with them through daily interactions.”

When asked about her on-campus involvement, Senator Andrea Sandoval of the Student Affairs committee emphasized her role as “a leader in the Office of Global Engagement and service learning… a resident assistant for first-year housing, and…the director of the Environmental Club.” “The biggest change I want to see is for students to learn inside and outside of the classroom in order to succeed outside of college,” said Sandoval.

In turn, Senator Carson Clemas of the Finance Committee mentioned his involvement with Circle K International and Model United Nations. “I would like to bring more infrastructure and resources to Stockton,” said Clemas.

Arti Kapoor of Academic Affairs stated that she is “part of Model U.N. and…experience[s] all kinds of events around campus to gain a better understanding of what is going on and how to help.”

Senator Vera Tagtaa of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee said that she is “currently a student worker at the Dean of Students and Multicultural Center and the African Student Organization on campus.” She identified her greatest strength as a senator as putting 100% into the things that she is involved in.

Garrett Testut of Public Relations said, “Besides being a resident assistant, I’m also an admissions ambassador and a campus public safety liaison. I’m soon to be the founder of the Out-of-State Ospreys Club. I want to improve the Stokton Senate’s image on campus because there are so many ideas and concerns that don’t get addressed.”

Each student who spoke addressed their concerns for improving campus life in their own unique way based on the skills and experience they have in an effort to make Stockton a better place for students.