Related sites:

Click her to visit Associated Students Inc.

Diversity is vital in attracting students to Associated Students Inc. positions, and diverse representation is key in representing the Sacramento State student body, said Patricia Worley, ASI executive director.

“As a long time staff member of ASI, I have spoken with many other ASI staff, and we feel that the board must have a diverse face in order for individuals to look at the board and relate to its members and feel comfortable talking to them,” Worley said.

The elected board of directors for next year, led by Angela Arriola, the first female president since Sandra Schlemmer was elected in 1996-97 and again in 1997-98, is composed of nine females out of 14 possible seats, or 64.3 percent. Arriola is also the third straight, non-white president.

Angel Barajas, ASI president, said the diversity of the board allows it to see issues from different perspectives, which helps better serve students.

“I think it is great, the diversity we have,” Barajas said.

Robbie Abelon, ASI executive vice president, said he recognizes the need for diversity on the ASI board.

“We need to represent more than just one voice,” Abelon said. “Fourteen people must represent 28,000, so you must have a diverse crowd on the board.”

Diversity also plays a role in attracting students to participate in ASI, Worley said.

“I believe there is mentoring going on,” Worley said. “When students identify with board members, they tend to get involved.” She said, in turn, board members are eager to mentor students.

Arriola, the current director of business for ASI, was approached by Barajas while working for Safe Rides and was asked to run for his current post.

“I felt privileged when he asked me.” Arriola said. “Mentoring makes it easy to go from just a student to a student helping students. Mentoring is key to attracting and maintaining membership.”

Abelon also remembers how Josh Wood, 2004-05 ASI president, and brother of Luke Wood, vice president of Academic Affairs for the same year, had an important impact on his involvement with ASI. “The Wood brothers helped me get involved by showing me, through their actions, how ASI could really affect students here on campus,” Abelon said. “This chance to serve and help students is the main reason I became involved with ASI.”

Leah Spratt, the Human Resources generalist for ASI, has worked with the student government organization for 16 years.

“I’ve always been pleased to see the diversity involved with the organization,” she said.

Eric Randall, a senior majoring in psychology, voted in the recent ASI elections and was happy with the diversity of the candidates running for office in the recent elections. “I thought the candidates were very diverse. We have a good draw of diversity on campus, and I think it was fairly well represented in these candidates,” Randall said.

Arriola said she feels the ASI boards have been diverse but that there is room for improvement. Cynthia Dela Cruz’s Spectrum slate, which advocates for gay issues, failed to have any of its four members elected to office during April’s elections.

“We have such a diverse student body here, but there are so many definitions of diversity to be met,” Arriola said.

Maxwell Puckett can be reached at [email protected]