Click here for a full list of candidates.

Campaigning began Monday for the 2006 Associated Student Inc. elections with four candidates in a heated race for president.

The presidential candidates, in alphabetical order, are:

Junior Robbie Abelon ?” executive vice president of ASI ?” came to Sacramento State in 2004 and is double majoring in government and history. Abelon brought College Democrats back to campus as president. He is running on the Advocate slate.

Senior Angela Arriola ?” director of business for ASI ?” is majoring in sociology with a minor in business. Arriola is running on the Impact slate.

Senior Cynthia Dela Cruz ?” president of the Queer-Straight Alliance, which advocates on behalf of queer students and their straight allies on campus ?” is majoring in health science. Dela Cruz is running on the Spectrum slate.

Junior Curtis Grima ?” secretary of State Affairs for ASI ?” sits on the board of directors for the California State Student Association and the Athletic Task Force Committee and is majoring in government/journalism. He is running on the Studentcrats slate.

Abelon champions three slogans to help achieve Advocates success: Advocating For 2010, Advocating On Campus and Advocating Together.

Fighting for student parking is a central component to Advocates For 2010 campaign. And outreach retention and recruiting programs will be central to Abelon’s agenda.

“So many students here would not have attended were it not for outreach programs,” he said. Mimi Beas, running for Executive Vice President on the same ticket, said, “We want to continue to invest in our students by protecting these programs.”

Abelon said initiating dialogue with state legislators and bringing them to campus is an important part of Advocates’ strategy. By bringing legislators to campus, they are less likely to cut funding or increase fees.

Advocating Together promotes team work and collaboration with students organizations and ASI.

Abelon is on the California State Student Association board of directors, a member of Democracy Matters and is a staff assistant for Ray Tretheway, Sacramento City Council Member, Abelon said.

In September, Abelon went to Louisiana to help Hurricane Katrina victims and was present to help victims of Hurricane Rita too.

Arriola, former co-coordinator of Safe Rides, was an orientation leader and academic advisor for freshmen and transfer students.

She said she has also been resident advisor for Educational Opportunity Programs Summer Bridge, a member of the Sac Mentoring Program.

Arriola was also chosen to attend McNair Scholars cohort, which prepares attendees for pursuing Ph.Ds.

“We are not naïve in our goals. We are idealists with a practical approach,” Arriola said.

“Team Impact is all about ‘Acts with Impact,’ ” Arriola said.

The three A’s of Impact are Academic, Accountability and Action.

Accountability to students is a prime goal of Impact. “Students deserve to know where the money is going and what it is gaining,” Arriola said.

Dela Cruz is currently interning at the Student Health Center as a Peer Health Educator, teaching students about alcohol, drugs and tobacco and helping students who want to quit smoking.

She is also a member of Kappa Iota Nu, the first non-gender, queer and queer-friendly co-ed frat.

“Our motto is ‘Serving students across the spectrum,’ ” Dela Cruz said.

All four members of Spectrum are openly “queer,” she said.

“We wish to represent all of those who have been ignored and neglected by the administration,” Dela Cruz said.

Spectrum will support the funding of issues concerning women, ethnic, racial and queer groups.

“We support the creation of a queer resource center on campus,” Dela Cruz said.

Grima was a former State Hornet reporter, writing in the areas of news, features and sports.

Last year, he was the Chief of Staff for ASI President Josh Wood, and was on the Academic Advisory Committee and Athletic Advisory Committee. He also is a member of both College Democrats and College Republicans.

Grima said the Studentcrats slate is diverse and balanced and takes pride in the fact that there are exactly seven males and seven females on board, constituting a candidate for every position available ?” the only slate to boast this.

The Studentcrats’ platform has four main points, including student-only parking in Parking Structure III, fiscal accountability in ASI, no fee increases and organizational housing.

“Regardless of affiliation parking is the number one issue in students’ eyes,” Grima said. “Someone needs to throw passion behind this issue.”

Parking Structure III is slated for completion in January 2007.

“Students’ money must be spent rationally and wisely,” Grima said. “Our (slate) candidate for Vice President of Finance, Tiffany Huang, is the most passionate individual about finances and is extremely moral and ethical.”

Elections will be held beginning April 25, at 8 a.m. and will last through 7:30 p.m. April 26.

Fourteen ASI board positions are up for grabs and all are being pursued.

Click here for a full list of candidates.

Max Puckett can be reached at [email protected].