We’ve got five candidates this year in the running for ASCWU senatorial positions, each hoping to find their place as representatives for their prospective student groups. The positions in the running are Senator at Large, Senator for the graduate school, Senator for the College of Business, Senator for the College of Arts and Humanities and Senator for the College of the Sciences.

In the running for Senator at Large, we have Anthony Marquez. Marquez is a second-year sociology student who wants to use the power of connection and collaboration to accomplish great things at CWU. “My platform revolves around facilitating connections between different departments at CWU and bridging the gap between students and resources,” Marquez said. “Furthermore, I am committed to actively seeking out and amplifying student voices. My experience working with nonprofits and as a teacher has honed my ability to listen and advocate effectively. I believe my multifaceted experience uniquely qualifies me to represent our diverse student body and address their needs comprehensively. As your Senator at Large, I pledge to work tirelessly to ensure every voice is heard and every student is represented. Together, let’s build a stronger, more connected community.”

For our graduate school senator, we have Caleena Wyman, a graduate student in the history department. Wyman chose to run because she believes she can provide a sound voice of diversity at CWU. “I am a first generation, neo-traditional, woman of color who started my journey at Central as a transfer student, earning my BA in June 2023,” Wyman said. “Graduate students are an important body in CWU’s community, and we deserve a strong contender for our interests in the Senate. I’m not a stranger to making difficult decisions and put importance on being a representation of the graduate students’ interests. Bringing my experience to the ASCWU Senate, I will always fight for a better CWU that can set our students and ourselves up for success.”

Mariana Bravo, a third-year student double majoring in political science and law & justice, is running for the Senator of the College of Business. “I have found with a first-hand view that there is a need for more representation and advocacy on campus in these student led positions,” Bravo said. ”As a candidate for this position I would strive to develop and uphold a more community driven form of leadership that would value and foster diversity and inclusivity. I strongly believe that representation matters and aiding in the amplification of student voices and providing them the resources they never realized they fully had through this approach within our college to reestablish a more equitable and community-driven environment within the college of business, may we put forth these values and develop an environment where every college of business student feels heard, represented, and most of all valued.”

The College of Arts and Humanities’ senatorial candidate is Gabriel Genzel, a first-year film student. “In high school I discovered a passion for student government, serving as ASB President my senior year,” Genzel said. “When entering college, I fully intended to continue my passion and have now been working in the ASCWU office since September. This upcoming year with your help I would like to take the next step by entering the senate. If elected I will do everything in my power to help the students under my college feel represented, heard, and understood. I intend to hold monthly meetings to discuss student issues and will keep myself as accessible as possible to ensure the success of my department. With your support we can strengthen the College of Arts and Humanities for years to come.”

Lastly, we have Ivan Miron running for the position of senator for the College of the Sciences. Miron is a first-year biology major with a specialization in biomedical sciences. “My goals for serving as the Senator of the College of the Sciences is to help learn the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and all involved in the College of the Sciences and take steps to address those needs,” Miron said. These steps include expressing our student’s needs to the ASCWU Senate and work closely with the Board of Directors.”

Online voting for the ASCWU general election begins at 8 a.m. on May 13 and ends at 5 p.m. May 17.