Candidates for the 2025-2026 Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senate met on March 18 to discuss their visions and proposed initiatives for student government if elected.

General elections will open at 8 a.m. on March 25 and close at 8 p.m. on March 26. Some of the biggest concerns among candidates included diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, issues of campus safety and a general lack of knowledge among the student body on resources available to them. While most of the candidates had somewhat unified opinions on these issues, there were some differing views and ideas for solutions.

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives

When looking at the current climate of diversity, equity and inclusion, one aspect of the issue that all candidates agreed on is that the student body needs to work together. 

Eddie Barron, running for ASUA student body senator (at-large) noted that everything was on the line. While he recognized that ASUA may not have the jurisdiction to implement a formal policy on DEI, he said that “what we do have is the power to get loud, to coalition bills with not just each other, but also organizations that are already doing the work to fight back against these heinous attacks.”

While the candidates all shared strong views on DEI, there were some different perspectives shared in terms of how to protect cultural programs. 

Bhavya Makkar, a candidate for the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health senator, drew attention to campus resources like the Poetry Center or the UA Museum of Art, which help to show individual narratives on diversity and inclusion. 

“Diversity is not just statistics and we can engage communities by meeting them where they’re at,” Makkar said. 

Other candidates focused on budget issues relating to DEI-based research programs.  

“The content of research and research funding itself is under attack at the University of Arizona,” Ira Puranik, a College of Science senator candidate, said. 

Puranik continued to advocate for protecting research groups and also brought up working with the Disability Resource Center and Counseling and Psychological Services to expand testing availability.

Barron explained his hope to cut a lot of the red tape within ASUA. 

“It seems almost impossible for the Senate to be effective because they’re unable to spend the money the way they want to,” Barron said. He also said that ASUA should be able to step in and financially help DEI services such as Feminists Organized to Resist, Create, and Empower or the pride alliance on campus. 

Some other candidates placed importance on the concern of cultural resource centers potentially shutting down. 

Carlos Laphond Moreno, running for student body senator (at large), said that in the worst-case scenario, “the least that ASUA can do as a student government is form student-led and funded spaces so that students of color can still have somewhere to go to feel safe and be heard.” 

Katelyn Alvarado, also running for an at-large senator position, echoed this thought. 

“Having safe spaces where students are able to express their culture, are able to express their heritage and be seen is something that is so important to have on campus,” Alvarado said. 

Barron tried to emphasize the importance of DEI programs for all students.

“I think the attacks that we’re seeing on DEI are ridiculous. I don’t understand the weird obsession with people wanting to eliminate these programs,” Barron said. “The consequences of dismantling DEI couldn’t be more clear. Students from all backgrounds deserve to feel safe.” 

Campus safety initiatives 

Another major conversation during this forum revolved around the physical and mental safety of students on campus. Many of the candidates recognized an issue of students feeling safe regarding transportation around campus. 

“A lot of times SafeRide or CatTran resources are not reliable or students don’t know about them,” Victoria Gallardo, a candidate for senator of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said. 

Selena Morales, a candidate for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences senator, shared how she has heard personal stories from victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and physical assault. 

“I would really like to expand the opportunities and spaces for victims to come forward and feel more comfortable speaking out,” Morales said. Morales also introduced her goal for an initiative to provide self-defense classes as a resource to students. 

Gallardo added to the conversation about campus safety by sharing concerns for midterms and finals happening late at night, forcing students to walk alone at potentially unsafe times. 

“The school is advertising ‘don’t walk alone at night,’ but it’s hard to do that when you have a test across campus late at night and you might not know anyone in your class to walk with,” Gallardo said. 

Other candidates, specifically Makkar, noted some health concerns on campus. She described a potential initiative she wants to introduce to provide some sanitation stations in dining halls across campus.

“Hand washing stations are obviously incredibly important and it’s concerning that students have to leave the dining hall area to wash their hands and come back,” Makkar said. 

Raising student awareness on campus resources

A candidate for College of Science Senator, Elizabeth Ghartey, commented that she has seen a lot of bureaucratic relationships between students and administrators, both in her college and the university as a whole. 

Ghartey noted that the first step to achieving this student unity is increasing the visibility of ASUA. If elected, she plans to implement her own newsletter throughout her college to raise awareness on different initiatives and the student government in general. 

Similarly, Aparna Chandrasekar, running unopposed for the W.A. Franke Honors College senator, viewed a lack of communication between the administration within her college and the students. 

“Oftentimes, students don’t find out about honors college resources or events until I tell them about it,” Chandrasekar said. 

Chandrasekar discussed a couple of initiatives she was interested in implementing to increase student awareness on campus resources and initiatives. She first mentioned putting typical newsletter information into some format on D2L. 

“A lot of students breeze past their emails, but most of them are pretty adamant on checking their D2L,” Chandrasekar said. 

Additionally, she shared an interest in working towards reshaping the introductory UNIV 101 course that all students are required to take. 

Rather than focusing on how general education works, she wants this course to introduce students to campus health, mental health resources and cultural resource centers. She referred to the current semester-long class as “a program that could honestly be covered in 30 minutes by your advisor.”

Barron agreed and shared a general concern for the amount of students who even know about ASUA’s presence. 

“Students aren’t being directly included in these processes. Look around, there’s no one in this room,” Barron said, looking out to the mainly empty seats. He discussed his proposed initiative to get more students on campus boards and committees, such as the UA Board of Trustees, which overlooks investments made by the university.

Moreno ended with the thoughts of many of his peers and said, “When a student government fails to interact with its constituents, it is not as strong.” 

Follow the Daily Wildcat on Instagram and Twitter/X