The Associated Students of the University of Arizona general election results have been released, revealing to the University of Arizona student body who will be serving them for the next year.
Alyssa Sanchez will serve as the next student body president, filling the spot vacated by current President Patrick Robles.
Also in executive officer positions, Eddie Barron will serve as the new executive vice president of ASUA, and Sara Kandel will serve as the next administrative vice president.
Also elected into office last night were eight college-specific senators and three at-large senators.
As the newly elected student body president, Sanchez is excited to continue building connections with the student body and creating more awareness about resources offered on campus, an endeavor she started on the campaign trail.
“I have had the opportunity to hear, and I genuinely really like knowing why people are passionate about the stuff they are doing,” Sanchez said. “I think getting to meet people and understand their perspectives of why they do what they do has also made me think of programs and services as a really personal thing for students.”
Barron, a freshman studying public policy and management, also expressed a desire to connect with students and student groups on campus in order to create a more cohesive and engaged community at the UA.
“One of the things I found along the campaign trail was a whole lot of students not knowing what ASUA was, or what we did, which really sucks in my opinion because we have so many great resources and tools to offer the student body,” Barron said.
One of the ways in which Barron hopes to make this possible is by tabling on the UA Mall and speaking with the cultural centers on campus about the resources ASUA can offer.
“One of the priorities I have as executive vice president specifically is going into cultural center spaces, specifically culture-specific clubs within cultural centers, who are usually underfunded because they’re not as easy to recognize,” Barron said. “So, increasing the number of clubs that we recognize so they can have access to the funding ASUA offers.”
A major highlight of Barron’s campaign and his plans for office is longevity. As a freshman, Barron hopes to remain in the role of EVP through their college career in order to implement and oversee lasting change.
Sanchez also hopes to carry out lasting changes that will benefit both the campus and the greater Tucson communities. She remains dedicated to the promises she made in her campaign and in her debate speeches, some of which include focusing on campus safety and food insecurity, allocating funding to cultural centers on campus and increasing transparency between ASUA and the student body.
“I want to see through everything that my platform stands for actually happens, everything I mentioned in the debates actually happens and that basically no stone is left unturned in that way,” Sanchez said.
Both Sanchez and Barron have expressed wanting to lead with an “open mind and open heart,” and have emphasized the importance of listening to the needs of students across campus.
According to Sanchez, meetings will soon be held between current and future ASUA leaders to discuss the transition of power.
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