Tuesday afternoon’s Associated Students, Inc. election debates turned into a repeat of the previous day when only one candidate and a few students showed up at the Library Quad for the event.

Manny Garcha, a transfer student in his second semester at Sacramento State, is running unopposed for the position of director of natural sciences and mathematics.

Garcha answered a series of questions similar to those that Yeimi Lopez, candidate for undeclared director, was asked at Monday’s debate. The questions highlighted Garcha’s reasons for campaigning, leadership skills, and ideas for increasing student involvement and voter turnout.

Garcha described himself as having been a proactive person his entire life. He said that he volunteers at Project Ride, a program in Elk Grove that provides therapeutic horseback riding lessons to people with disabilities, is a member of the American Medical Student Association, and works at CalWorks. Garcha said that going into politics was natural for him.

“It’s kind of just the next step for me,” Garcha said. “I decided to run for student government so that I’d have this opportunity to?make a more fundamental change.”

Garcha said he would like to see more innovative methods used by ASI to raise the campus’ visibility. Facebook and MySpace were suggested as tools for creating a direct connection and greater awareness with students. He also said that he would like to see student clubs that need money receive it faster than they do now.

“I want to make the system more streamlined, more efficient, save students money and put that money to work in a more effective way,” Garcha said.

Garcha said that students often forget that student government is more effective when they are all part of it and that it effects their lives in many ways.

“It shouldn’t just be about the politics, it should be about getting people involved, getting them to be concerned about the actual aspects of campus life,” Garcha said.

Julia Baum can be reached at [email protected].