The UTEP Student Government Association (SGA) will begin campaigning through social media for elections this week with a featured Facebook Live debate from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m Tuesday, April 7.
Due to the “Stay Home, Work Safe” order implemented by the city, SGA candidates are restricted from ordinary campaigning methods, relying heavily on social media to promote their campaigns.
Students who wish to participate and cast their ballot will be able to do so online from April 8–9 and can expect results to be released April 9 or 10.
The Prospector collected information on candidates that students can read before voting in the upcoming elections. Students who wish to submit their vote may do so at SGAElections.utep.edu.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES:
NAME: Jessica Martinez
AGE: 21
YEAR, MAJOR: Senior, Political Science
ONE-SENTENCE BIO: “When I was brought into this world, they added some hard work and drive, lots of fun and love, a splash of sparkle, the heart of a Miner, two helping hands, and a little too much passion and courage to accomplish whatever comes my way.”
GOALS:
“Enhance student’s academic success by working with our administrators to amplify our academic advising with a more holistic approach focusing on our career goals and well-being in and out of the classroom.”
“Advocate for student needs to our administrators and advocate for the resources available to students like the Green Fund, Food Pantry, Counseling and Psychological Services, Campus Advocacy Resources and Education services and many more.”
“Enhance student’s college experience by continuing the partnership SGA has with UTEP Athletics and partner with other university departments to tailor experiences specifically for our commuter and nontraditional students.”
Amey Gomez of the UNITY party is also a presidential candidate, however, she did not respond to The Prospector’s interview request.
COLLEGIATE SENATORIAL CANDIDATES:
NAME: Danica Lopez
AGE: 19
YEAR, MAJOR: Junior, marketing
ONE-SENTENCE BIO: “Hi everyone, my name is Danica, I am a person who finds comfort in creating genuine interactions with people, and I hope that through my UTEP experience I am able to show my community that together we can have a positive impact on our university, as well as our city.”
GOALS:
“Connect with students on a meaningful level to gain insight on how I can establish unique initiatives and policy changes throughout the College of Business.”
“Help students succeed by providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of academic or financial standing.”
“Enhance the UTEP experience of all students by increasing engagement and involvement with the university.”
NAME: Nayeli Ontiveros
AGE: 21
YEAR, MAJOR: Sophomore, mechanical engineering
GOALS:
“Get a bigger space for the machine shop. I have been working with the dean for almost a year in making this happen. The issue is that the machine shop is too small and only allows 10 students at a time, which is a huge issue since the machine shop is being shared with different organizations and classes.”
“Advocate for students in Engineering. I want to ensure I am the person students can come to with any issues that I can help with or lead them in the right direction to get help.”
“Create a mentorship program for female engineers. In 2018 I created a movement called LISA- Ladies in STEM Alliance, with this movement I wanted to create a mentorship program for woman pursuing careers in STEM. I want to ensure woman are empowered to continue a degree in a male dominant career and help motivate and inspire each other throughout their college career.”
NAME: Aaron Carrillo
AGE: 23
YEAR, MAJOR: Junior, political science
ONE-SENTENCE BIO: “Hey everybody, I want to help contribute to making your experience here at school the best it can possibly be.”
GOALS:
“Student Advocacy. My No. 1 priority is being the voice for every single student at this university.”
“Student Engagement. I want to capture the attention of each student and hopefully implement longstanding traditions.”
“Education. There is so many resources that our school offers that a lot of students are not aware of. I want to focus on spreading the word of those resources to help better the education of our students.”
NAME: Samantha Morales
AGE: 21
YEAR, MAJOR: Sophomore, political science
ONE-SENTENCE BIO: “My name is Samantha and I want to be the Khaleesi of voices unheard, the Hermione Granger of questions that need to be asked, and the Barbara Jordan of honest politics on campus.”
GOALS:
“As senator at large, I would ensure that being a part of UTEP would be something that everyone could be proud of through easier access to clubs and campus events, especially at the freshman level.”
“I would encourage even the most frightening of professors to tweet, snap, and post about their classes to better reach out to students.”
“I would also have speakers, motivators and even comedians visit campus during finals week for a boost in student morale during that stressful time.”
NAME: Nick Ortiz
AGE: 21
YEAR, MAJOR: Junior, cellular and molecular biochemistry
ONE-SENTENCE BIO: “Hello, my name is Nick Ortiz I am an active student who has pursued various roles within the UTEP community, my passion for science and my strong leadership abilities are what lead myself to run for the position of Collegiate Senator of Science, I want to shine some light and give opportunity to have the voices of the student body truly be heard and assure their needs are being fulfilled.”
GOALS:
“I aspire to design a communication network to engage the College of Science as a whole, by presenting each student the ability to communicate efficiently with their peers, thus creating an environment emphasized on collaborative learning.”
“I want to continue the tradition of providing free MCAT practice exams; including other entry exams such as DAT, GRE, and PCAT to well prepare our students for postgraduate studies.”
“I will provide the student body exposure to various professions by arranging info sessions with professionals within their field.”
NAME: Eduardo Luna
AGE: 24
YEAR, MAJOR: Business finance
ONE-SENTENCE BIO: “Hi I’m Eduardo Luna, your friend and local businessman. I live to serve the beautiful people of the sun city.”
GOALS:
“Provide professors tools to make online lectures more engaging and fun.”
“Establish support for programs facing difficult online transitioning.”
“Make our campus a better place, one smile at a time.”
NAME: Austin Stephens
AGE: 21
YEAR, MAJOR: Sophomore, history
ONE-SENTENCE BIO: “My name is Austin T. Stephens, friends and people call me Texas because just as our state is passionate, I am just as passionate in going out of my way to help others before myself.”
GOALS:
“Being an ambassador, representing our students at the UTEP, community State and National level. Being able to represent our students needs first and communicate that to others. I am ready to have those tough conversations and making sure resources are ready and available, so our entire student body and incoming students knows what our campus has to offer. Power to the Students!”
“Policy Advocacy, it will be an initiative of mine to have major involvement on our campus through the colleges and faculty committees that we have, working with various members of the student body and faculty. To draft and pass policies that are meaningful for our students on campus and community. I also plan on traveling to Austin for UTSSAC to further the academic success of our students and represent our Miners at our Capital.”
“Listening, being in the appropriations committee for the past two years, I have heard over 300 Bills, 300 different stories, each unique in their own way. From that experience, I learned that it is important to hear your fellow students out…their dreams and travels from all over the world. Even as Senate Majority Leader, I learned how to help my senator peers in their goals on how to reach out and encourage them to listen to the students around them. In light of that, my goal is to be able to have office hours to hear concerns and comments from Students, have hours for Collegiate Senators to meet with their fellow peers in the lobbies of their respective colleges, and for Senators at large to have open office hours weekly for anyone to come in, sit down and have some tea!”
Students who wish to submit their vote may do so at SGAElections.utep.edu.
Sven Kline may be reached at prospector@utep.edu
