Associated Students, Inc. hosted its first Town Hall Pre-Summer Bash Thursday, introducing the newly elected board members to the Sacramento State community.

Students and the current ASI Board members were able to interact together, as well as to meet the future board members while playing games, winning prizes and eating food – all of which was provided by ASI.

Event coordinator Mercedes Tyler, junior film major, said Pre-Summer Bash was intended for students to mingle and socialize with board members now in office and new board members who will be done with office in early June.

“While we wanted previous board members to pass down their candidacy to the newly elected members, ASI also wanted students to meet the new board members to get to know who will be running the student government and to become more involved on campus,” Tyler said.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Sarkis Piloyan, senior business administration and accounting major, said the event was a great way for students to have a better understanding of ASI and who the board members are and what they do.

“As a current board member, ASI’s priority is to represent the student population,” Piloyan said. “In that case, it is important that students meet the new incoming board members so they can discuss the upcoming school year plans and goals.”

As ASI members and committees filled the room, only a handful of students not associated with ASI attended.

Tyler said she hoped for a higher student turnout considering the event was not only designed for current board member to pass on their positions to new members, but also for students who were unfamiliar with the ASI board members.

“I was expecting more students to come to the event,” Tyler said. “We wanted a place where students can relax, have a good time but at the same time meet the new school representatives and get to know what ASI is really about – which is our campus’ students.”

Autumn Guthrie, junior English major, was one of the few students who attended the event. She said she would not have known about the event unless her best friend, who is in ASI, did not mention it to her.

“Although the event was in a small room, it had a lively atmosphere where students had fun and met the new ASI members to find out their goals for this next school year,” Guthrie said. “Events like this are important for students, but I think it is also important that ASI markets their events better so more of the student body is drawn to come.”

While members of the board and the new members interact with each other in a casual setting, ASI President-elect Laura Gonzalez, senior international relations major, said she would have liked to see more students involved in the festivities as well.

As the president of ASI, Laura Gonzalez said she plans to work with ASI’s event coordinators to be sure students are more aware of the events on campus so they can engage in the Sac State community while also getting involved with ASI.

“I am glad some students were able to come to the event, but I would like to see more students and even organizations to attend future ASI events,” Gonzalez said. “Students are the voices of this campus and it is ASI’s job to work with students to make sure they are taken care of.”

Gonzalez said the students had a great time. However, she said it could have been a more intimate, engaging environment if students were more involved with on campus events.

Gonzalez said her goal while in office is to network with students and collaborate with student organizations on campus to get a better understanding of what it will take for students to get more involved with ASI events and the Sac State community.

“Students are the best promoters,” Gonzalez said. “Collaborating with students will benefit both ASI and students; ASI will be able to communicate with the student body more effectively and students will become more active in on campus events. ASI has the resources, so we need to use them to the students’ full advantage.”