Orange, yellow and red signs have decorated Sacramento State forthe last few weeks. Candidates debated April 13 and passed theirfliers out to potential voters, all in anticipation of theAssociated Students, Inc. elections next week.

ASI draws in students from all different organizations oncampus. From members of the Greek community to athletes, itprovides a way for various individuals to have further campusinvolvement. Whether their motives are to improve Sac State or tobuild up a resume that leads to a career in politics, ASI attractsall different types of people.

Now, many students may not know exactly what ASI does for them.It’s a $9 million operation in charge of Safe Rides, theAquatic Center, the Childrens Center and KSSU, just to name a fewprograms. Students elect those on the executive board who make thedecisions that affect everyone at Sac State.

“We represent students on a state level,” said VicePresident of University Affairs candidate Colleen Ripchick.”It’s a voice for them.”

Ripchick is currently the press secretary for ASI PresidentPeter Ucovich.

When students’ fees were raised by over 40 percent,ASI’s job was to get the message to state legislators that weweren’t happy about it. You may have seen them protesting atthe Capitol or in the library quad.

All of this political activism on a state and local levelisn’t a bad start for future political leaders. Two formerASI presidents are already on the road to continue their politicalcareers: Artemio Pimentel was elected to the Woodland City Council,and last year’s president, Eric Guerra, is the studentrepresentative on the California State University Board ofTrustees. Both Sac State alumni have no doubt used theirinvolvement in ASI as a stepping-stone.

Ucovich graduates in May with his baccalaureate in communicationstudies, with an emphasis in international and interculturalstudies. He said he hopes for a Legislative fellowship at the StateCapitol.

“I’m not sure I would ever get involved inpolitics,” Ucovich said. explaining that his presidencyshowed him the negative repercussions of holding a public office,partially because of his encounters with The State Hornet.

“If there was a balance between negative and positivecoverage it would be very beneficial,” Ucovich said. He saidthat there were mostly personal attacks on members of ASI,including himself.

Obviously, scrutiny and being a public figure go hand and hand.But maybe ASI also prepares political hopefuls for the potential ofliving in a glass house. Any leader cannot expect praise without alittle criticism, but maybe in Ucovich’s case he received alittle more criticism than he expected.

Still, Ucovich says he will never say never, and that hisexperience has taught him a lot about how to run a business. He haspresided over budgets, committees, and coworkers.

ASI presidential candidate Brandon Kline said he hoped to leaveSac State better off than how he found it. The former rower andcurrent president of the Inter-Fraternity Council said that aftergraduating from Sac State he wants to earn his MBA at the LondonSchool of Economics.

“(ASI) is a test of leadership,” Kline said.”It gives you the experience you need to deal withadversity.”

On April 27 and 28, you will decide the next group of studentsthat will lead our school. Maybe they’ll help positivelyimpact Sac State for future generations, or maybe they will makedecisions that anger you. Either way, they’ll be in positionsof power that will help them advance to the next step in theirlives.

Giving candidates a vote hires them for a resume-buildingon-campus job, so if you don’t like what ASI is doing, maybenext year you should get on the ballot. The experience may helpyou, too.