Candidates for the upcoming ASI elections are starting to come together and form separate slates, which they will run upon.

Slates have been becoming more popular in recent elections and this year that seems to be continuing. Slates are a group of students that share similar views on campus issues and decide to run for office together.

As of March 27, students in this year?s election have set up three different slates. Running under the VISION slate is presidential candidate Artemio Pimentel, executive vice president candidate Eric Guerra, vice president of finance candidate Veronica Lerma and Calvin Davis, the candidate for vice president of university affairs.

Pimentel summed up the goals of the VISION slate by stating three main issues that they will focus on.

“We want to focus on accountability, accessibility and unity/diversity,” Pimentel said. Pimentel said that every action that board members take they should be held accountably for. He also wants to be accessible to students.

“Students should be able to come to the board with any problems,” Pimentel said. “VISION wants to be available to the students.”

He also believes that unity and diversity on the board is very important. “There hasn?t been the diversity that we need on the board,” Pimentel said. “We can?t represent the campus unless we have diversity on the board.”

Pimentel said that experience will make all the difference in this election. Support US is another slate in this year?s election. Running under Support US are Hans Weichhart for President, Shara Perkins for executive vice president, Tom Hughes for vice president of finance and Kevin Greene for vice president of university affairs.

The US stands for united students, a message that presidential candidate Hans Weichhart wants to get out to the students.

Weichhart discussed some of the goals of the Support US slate.

“The main thing is getting ASI back to the students,” Weichhart said. “There is a very small percentage of students who know what ASI is about.”

“We want to make it an advocacy group,” Weichhart said. “We want to instill a great sense of pride on campus.”

Weichhart wants to get the community more involved with the university. “We need to get more community support and respect for this campus,” Weichhart said. “We want more recognition within the community.”

Weichhart also wants students to know about the support they want to give to athletes on campus.

“We are huge on athletics,” Weichhart said. “There needs to be more happening in Green Thunder.”

Weichhart commented on how he wants to see more students out at sporting events and how Sac State teams are going places and they need the support.

Weichhart said the Support US slate really wants to represent the student body. Joe Devlin is running for president on the Students First slate.

For more information on the VISION slate, visit their Web site. For information on the Support US slate, visit their Web site.