A.S. president reflects on term

Monday and today, the Cal State Long Beach student body will elect Associated Students Inc. officers for the 1995-96 term. The new officers will take over A.S. elected official duties on June 1. The Daily Forty-Niner conducted the following interview with A.S. President Suzie Aramesh.

Q- At the beginning of your term as A.S. president, what did you hope to accomplish and what changes did you have planned for CSULB?

A- When I decided to run for A.S. president, I didn't have any specific goals in mind and it was hard for me to come up with a platform because there were so many things that I wanted to do. Basically, what I wanted to do was to get the word out to the average student about what the Associated Students does and what we are. I really wanted to make sure that we're reaching out to the students and were telling them look, thank you for coming to this concert please know that A.S. is putting this on for you. I wanted every student to at least once see the words Associated Students and idealistically to at least once be involved in one of our programs.

Q- What have you done to accomplish this?

A- That was one of the first things I did as president was to figure out ways to still put on quality programs but make sure the students knew who the quality programs were being provided by.

Q- And is this A.S. advertising to let people know that they are benefiting from the fees they pay to the A.S.?

A- Every student pays $17 to the Associated Students a semester and I want every student to know what kinds of program we're putting on with their dollars. I don't want to leave with anyone asking "what's the A.S." That was my main goal, so, everything I've created for my platform dealt somehow with reaching out to the students.

Q- How do you feel you've done with accomplishing these goals?

A- I think we've done very well and I don't think I particularly have done anything by myself. I think it's we as an administration, the four of us together. Together I think that we have been able to bring this campus absolutely wonderful programs and absolutely wonderful advertisement of the A.S. Ñ nothing I could have done alone.

Q- With a quarter of the year left to go, what are your priorities?

A- There's a little less than three months left before the end of my presidency and it's kind of a critical time because you start to loose a little bit of your leverage or your influence when there is a new person elected. I'm very proud of the things that I've accomplished so far and I'd like to just bring closure to some of those things. I'd like to work with the new person to help them to kind of initiate some of their goals. I won't be selfish for the next three months in trying to do as much as I can before I leave but I'll help them if they would like my help to kind of set the frame work or set the ground work for their goals. I think that is very important.

Q- If you had to choose an A.S. president to fill your shoes, what qualities would you look for, and what would be the factors for basing your decision?

A- If I were to choose an A.S. president I would say any student could be a good leader if they want to be. I think anyone can learn to lead if they have a vision, if they have enthusiasm for what they do, and if they're ethical. Ethics is number one for me. I've been told I have not been getting enough done because I'm so ethical. I believe that people elect you to get from point A to point B the best way you can, the best way that you know how in the most ethical way that you know how. Also, a person that is fair, and represents all of the students. That's very important to me. Lastly, I think that it's very important that you follow through with the issues that any student has whether you agree with them or not.

Q- With A.S.I. elections coming up Monday and Tuesday, the student body will be voting for new A.S.I. officers. What advice would you offer the next president elect?

A- I would say to that person to focus on all of the committees where there are student vacancies because that is the most powerful faction of the Associated Students. Having a student voice on campus wide committees is the most important thing. There are about 60 positions that are available and often those positions are left vacant. It's a very difficult task because not that many students want to get involved.

Q- What types of committees need student leaders?

A- The majority of the campus wide committees that you would need to fill vacancies for are academic senate sub committees.

Q- Why is filling these vacancies important?

A- If you can fill those positions then you have a bigger voice for the students, a louder voice for the students. We need to appreciated the fact that we have fought hard for these student voices and these student seats. Students need to try to work together and vote together. When the students vote together then the faculty and staff tend to vote with them.

Q- What do you feel was the A.S.I.'s biggest accomplishment this year?

A- We did a lot of things that have never ever been done before in the Associated Students because we wanted to give them a try. One of the first projects we had was a five band concert. It wasn't as successful as we wanted it to be but we gave it a try. We started a never before done book subsidy program where we gave scholarships or grants in the amount of $50, $70, or $100 to students with a 3.0 GPA or higher and an income of less then $20,000. We had a lot of applicants. We gave away about 45 scholarships this year. We began our student first campaign which is going on right now in the month of March. We're encouraging faculty and staff to wear the buttons to highlight the central role that students play on the campus and that's been very successful for us. We put on an excellent never before done homecoming. The best homecoming ever. This has been a very active year.

Q- What does the A.S.I. have planned for the remainder of the year?

A- We're going to have our concerts in the pyramid, between now and the end of my term believe it or not. We're planning five concerts. Were looking into some names but I don't want to say for sure because we haven't confirmed them but their going to be big bands, very well known.