New officers face old issues
By Sean McGlynn
For the record, the new Associated Students (AS) president likes Swedish pancakes, Chinese food and fajitas. His favorite animal is the wolf and his favorite band is Jimmy Eat World.
Last week, more than 50 percent of student voters chose Taylor McClure for student body president and Nathan Iglesias for vice president.
"Our most important duty as president and vice president is to engage the students and give them a voice," said McClure.
McClure is a veteran of the student government system. For the past two years, he has served as a class senator and as senate committee chair, attending multiple forums and conferences on issues such as neighborhood relations and Residential Learning Communities (RLCs).
Iglesias also has extensive experience in student government, as well as ties to other student organizations and clubs.
"I think that his outside perspective of AS and involvement in so much of the school through SCAAP, ROTC, orientation, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and branches of the MCC [Multicultural Center] will give me a better feel for a part of the school that I am not as well acquainted with," said McClure.
Each is confident in the other's abilities, and they both feel that their efforts as a team will be a valuable tool to the Santa Clara community.
"Myself being a Greek, a long-time AS member, an on-campus employee, as well as a friend of much of the Santa Clara population, combined with Nate's experience helps us cover much ground in the way of knowing the students' interests and how to relate to the different student groups across campus," said McClure.
During a discussion panel, each gave his own answers to the questions that were posed, and if either of the two ever seemed to falter in his response, the other was quick to assist.
Junior Mark Dicello would like to see the newly elected government work with the school administration to encourage local police to curb what he describes as their persistent presence off campus.
"It has gotten ridiculous. On any given Friday or Saturday night, there are more cops in the neighborhoods around campus than there are trees. Regardless of their intentions, the fact that they are everywhere you go, constantly driving up and down the streets, spoils the fun of being a college student. ," said Dicello.
McClure and Iglesias acknowledge the need to address this issue since it has been a hot item of debate for some time.
"I intend to encourage students to attend Neighborhood University Relations Committee meetings so that they are more aware of who their neighbors are, and what their concerns are, as well as establishing a better neighbor-student connection to show the community that we are not all a bunch of loaded, psycho, beer guzzling, college terrorists," said McClure.