Carlos Alvarez, Class of 2021
Why are you running for ASPLU president?
“I am running for ASPLU President because I saw a need for a more radical approach of leadership in ASPLU.”
“I see a disconnect throughout campus specially with student groups in lower campus. To me, this is outrageous. A student government can not do its job by only representing half its people, I want to do more than what we are doing now. I believe that Mei Yun and I bring this critical thinking and perspective…we understand how the system works and we want to make sure to bring our leadership into action.”
What do you hope to change at PLU?
“This question is easy because the student body answered this for us. In the last two weeks Mei Yun and I have dedicated much time and energy to connecting with students and asking them where do they see a need on our college campus. Consistently issues that I would call “household” issues came up…the things that year after year ASPLU either focuses on, sponsors, or dedicates energy to at some level of capacity. These issues are not unknown to us, because we deal with them on an everyday basis, issues like accessibility, racial equity, gender equity, transparency throughout the university, campus divide, etc. At the end of the day, the change that I hope to bring to PLU is not just physical, but I seek to change PLU culture from not just a welcoming one but a collaborative one.”
Mei-Yun Loya, Class of 2022
Why are you running for ASPLU vice president?
“I am running for ASPLU VP for the simple yet important reason, that representation of marginalized communities is vital to student success. Unfortunately, since I began taking classes on campus I noticed and felt the lack of diversity especially within the leadership.
My vice president campaign is fueled by the need to have Student Leadership that represents students on campus that are disadvantaged and whose success is at a risk because of that.”
What do you hope to change at PLU?
“I hope to change how we discuss disadvantaged groups on campus. I hope that this conversation is lead by the students that it directly affects and that the actions we take are led by the same students. Community is important to me and is vital to my campaign. We want to lead these conversations and create safe spaces for our communities on campus who traditionally don’t have these spaces.”
Todd Dizon, Class of 2020
Why are you running for ASPLU vice president?
“I’m running [for] ASPLU Vice President so that I can help fuel our passion for PLU. I mainly draw upon my experience as a prospective student during my Lute OverKnight to explain why I am running. That experience captivated what I had been looking for at a university. With strong academics, homey campus, and genuine students, PLU has become a second home for me. So, I find that ASPLU is an organization in which I can influence purpose, direction and motivation to make PLU a better place.”
What do you hope to change at PLU?
“I hope to change the amount of transparency within our school. That is, I am looking to change not only financial transparency, but also the transparency between people. For example, in addition to a financial newsletter of university expenses, I hope to encourage the Board of Regents to spend a day on campus with us so that we can make genuine connections with the people that make decisions. Moving forward, I believe that food brings people together. So, the connections made from a meal between us and Parkland community members would improve student perception of where they live.”
Kennedy Gwin, Class of 2020
Why are you running for ASPLU president?
“I am running for ASPLU president because I have a deep care for this university and the students. I want to continue to foster leadership within this institution as well as show a commitment to DJS through direct action. I want to push this administration towards progressive values and continue building community across campus.”
What do you hope to change at PLU?
“I hope to continue ADA accessibility projects across campus, to be intentional about senator /director recruitment process, and start campus conversations about gender roles within leadership. While having dialogue is an important step within these processes, placing action to these words is the next step in creating a stronger university climate. I’m ready to approach this systemically through ASPLU and ready to get the tough work done.”
