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ASCLUG Sophomore Senator Josh Gatison

The Associated Students of California Lutheran University Executive Cabinet seats for President, Senate Director and Programs Board Director are up for election on blackboard March 4 and 5. 

The candidates for executive office, president are Sophomore Senator Josh Gatison and Junior Senator Karyme Lara Chagoya, while the Programs Board Director candidate is Junior Representative Alyssa Frausto. Running for Senate Director is Junior Senator Garrett Wyatt. Voting will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 4 and close at 5 p.m. the following day.

Josh Gatison

Gatison has been part of ASCLUG for two years. During his time in the senate, he has noticed the lack of diversity and has strived to implement change to ensure that the student government represents the Cal Lutheran community accurately and fairly.

Gatison said the convocation committee “voted on an bill that states that 25% of convocators must be people of color” this year. He added that while this is a good start, he is one of the few people of color on the committee and hopes for greater representation going forward.

One of Gatison’s main goals if elected president is to fight for a fixed tuition rate for Cal Lutheran students. 

“Tuition continuously increases every year and every year there are more and more students having financial troubles because of it, so I would like to create a flat tuition rate for all students,” Gatison said. 

Gatison also hopes to change the classroom environment and requirements Cal Lutheran students need to graduate to implement more diversity and inclusion education for the student body. 

“I would love to try and increase our diversity rate on campus. I want to have a Black student orientation for prospective students, and I’ve been working with the president and VP of BSU to get that started,” Gatison said. 

Gatison would also like to change the upper division religion course requirement, to give students the option to take some form of an ‘Ethnic Studies’ class.

Karyme Lara Chagoya

Chagoya has been apart of the ASCLUG Cabinet for three years. She said during her time in the senate, she has worked closely with the Cal Lutheran administration to create change on campus.

“During my first year on senate, I wrote a proposal to get free laundry in the dorms and had to go in front of the board with my proposal, and starting this year students have had free laundry,” Chagoya said. 

Chagoya said her main goal if elected president is to keep increasing the communication and transparency on campus between students and administration. 

“Sitting down and talking with people is something I firmly believe in. I think one of the best ways to resolve conflict is through communication,” Chagoya said. “I believe that even if we can’t come to a resolution that both parties want, with the help of stable communication there can be some form of solution.”

Alyssa Frausto

Frausto has been a part of ASCLUG for three years as a Programs Board Representative. She has helped plan events like Monte Carlo, clothing drives and food trucks in Kingsmen Park.

“I want to make sure people know that we are here for the students and here to serve the students. I want to continue to try and reach the entire student body and keep building the relationship between ASCLUG and the students,” Frausto said.

Frausto said her main goal is to create more events that students want to see on campus and continue to facilitate the communication between students and members of ASCLUG.

“I want to engage students in events that they want. I want students to feel comfortable enough to communicate with me and come to my office and tell me what they want to see on campus, what events they want, and what we can improve on,” Frausto said. 

Garrett Wyatt

Wyatt has been on the ASCLUG Cabinet for one year, and has noticed that during this time not all students are being represented fairly, but more specifically the LGBTQ community.

“As a white male, I believe it is my duty to use my privilege in the positions of power awarded to me to advocate for change that will be beneficial to students who don’t hold the same privileges as me,” Wyatt said. “Plus, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I know what it’s like to not always feel welcome or heard, so I believe it is important for people to see more LGBTQ+ leaders in positions of power to help enact change, and assure that everyone feels welcome and knows that their voices are heard.” 

As Senate Director, Wyatt said he plans to enhance transparency within the student population and assure students that their concerns are heard.

Wyatt is currently working with Director of Campus Safety David Hilke, to address student concerns about safety on campus. He will also be meeting with the Disability Services office to talk about what the school can do to make the Cal Lutheran campus more accessible to students with disabilities.

“As Senate Director, I plan to continue to engage in conversation with these important offices to help create positive change on campus for my fellow students,” Wyatt said. 

Correction: This article has been updated since it’s original publish to reflect that Josh Gatison is not the only person of color on the convocation committee, but one of few people of color on the committee.