The Associated Students of Cerritos College Senate approved 23 students to the presidential cabinet and two court members during a meeting on Sept. 21.
Two more court members and three cabinet members were approved at the following meeting Sept. 28, with three more positions to be to be approved at the next meeting.
The appointed commissioners and assistant commissioners will be responsible for managing student activities, services, any legislation affecting students, and for improving student life at Cerritos College.
“The ones we selected have the energy and capacity to serve the students,” said Julian Del Real-Calleros, vice president for the Associated Students. “I think they’re great and we want the best students to represent the student body.”
“The president reviewed more than 60 applications of potential commissioners and selected them based on their abilities, qualifications and their majors,” he said.
The newly elected vowed to address the CSU service area priority, which is a policy that gives enrollment priority to students within a respective CSU’s location, better computers for students to use in the study areas, e-mails ending at .edu for students, better wi-fi coverage around campus, and more promotion in the arts and for disabled students.
“We want students go to class and enjoy school,” Real-Calleros, who is in charge of the Senate, said.
“If students have any problems or concerns they should contact their commissioners. We want the students to know who represents them.”
But the lack of student involvement in government is a reoccurring problem facing the ASCC.
“Students who go to school here need to be happy,” Stephanie Flores said, communications major. “I think the (ASCC) has an important role in getting student’s opinions on stuff, but I don’t get involved.”
Mohammad Abbas, commissioner-elect for external affairs, said students should get involved so that the government has better representation of the student body.
“A lot of issues are brought up in the cabinet and Senate and are useful to the student body,” said Abbas, a business administration and political science major. “But nobody hears about it.”
Abbas, 17, plans to push the issue on CSU service area priority.
“Cerritos College has no priority in any Cal State so we have to go above the minimum requirement to get enrolled. Students should not be judged by where they go to school,” he said.
Abbas said the ASCC has contacted assembly representatives, senators in Washington and California State officials on the issue.
“We want to remove the whole concept,” he said.