Now through midnight Friday, Santa Rosa Junior College students can log into their student portals to vote for the college’s 2020-2021 student government representatives.
The election will decide SRJC Student Government Assembly’s next student trustee, student body president and vice president of student health.
The remainder of the positions are uncontested, including vice president of legislation, vice president of diversity, vice president of student health, vice president of sustainability, as well as two vice presidents of clubs and two vice presidents of student life, one each for the Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses.
Following is an overview of each race. The Oak Leaf is not endorsing any candidates during this election cycle. The candidates’ full statements can be reviewed here.
Student Trustee
The student trustee represents the student body to SRJC’s Board of Trustees and casts an advisory vote on appropriate agenda items.
Sean Young served the past two years as executive vice president of legislation for SGA. His goals are to eliminate single-use plastics on campus, provide more resources for food and housing insecure students and keep students informed about on-campus student housing.
Jocelyn Toscano has served the campus as a club president, student employee and student government representative. If elected, she wants to bridge equity gaps that impede students from fulfilling their full potential, increase sustainability and amplify the voice of students of color.
Student Body President
The student body president acts as leader of the SGA and represents the student body to the Board of Trustees and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.
Dakota McGranahan is SGA’s current vice president of student life. McGranahan’s goals include increasing resources for the food pantry, re-establishing reproductive services on the Santa Rosa campus and challenging the college to eliminate the obstacles students face every day.
Delashay Carmona-Benson is SGA’s current vice president of clubs for Petaluma. If elected, her goals are to create the best experience on both SRJC campuses and ensure all students are treated equally.
Vice President of Student Health
The vice president of student health acts as a liaison with Student Health Services to inform, promote, educate and involve students in local and statewide legislation and initiatives affecting student health and assists SHS in planning and coordinating health-related activities on campus.
Maria Arreguin Espinosa plans to push for more advertising about SRJC’s physical and psychological health services, collaborate with the PEERS coalition on events and advocate for additional health-related student services.
Celina Ventanilla plans to fight for expanded availability of mental health appointments and to bring free STI testing back to the Santa Rosa campus. She also will try to ensure the Southwest Center is receiving the same privileges as the Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses.
Executive Vice President of Legislation
Sierra Garcia’s main goal is to help all students graduate faster by strengthening housing and food services, mental health support, legal aid and community ties.
Vice President of Clubs, Santa Rosa
Lisset Miranda started the Circle K International Club in Spring 2019 and wants to ensure every student can find a club where they feel at home and that every club’s visibility increases by improving communication between the Inter-Club Council, SGA and the students.
Vice President of Clubs, Petaluma
Tori Hammock was a student ambassador, co-founder of the Petaluma Write Women English Club and planned the Roaring Twenties Dance and Spring Fling. She hopes to encourage a safe and fun environment for students while increasing the number of future events on campus.
Vice President of Student Life, Santa Rosa
Athena Weathers currently serves as SGA’s member for disability affairs and has years of experience attending and organizing festivals in Northern California. She hopes to create a beautiful, sustainable and inclusive campus for generations to come.
Vice President of Student Life, Petaluma
Brandon Repp is a student ambassador who works at the computer lab in the tutorial center and plans to organize more events, including mental health days and dances, and push for better food options on campus, such as diverse food trucks.
Vice President of Diversity
Felix Santiago identifies as a queer person of color, works at the Queer Resource Center and Gender Sexuality Alliance and, if elected, plans to empower all students to be their authentic selves.
Vice President of Sustainability
Carolynne Marshall plans to pilot a composting program, find a resolution to parking challenges that will also reduce students’ carbon footprint, search for sustainable replacements for resources, supplies, food and snacks on campus and endorse more education on environmental friendliness.
