By Commissioners representing the needs of specific groups of students were appointed to Associated Students Inc. after being interviewed by the President’s board and confirmed by ASI senate.
The three positions, Commissioners for International Students, Pregnant and Parenting and Veteran affairs were filled by Stephany Triska, Erika Rodriguez and Kaleb Lee respectively.
Commissioners are responsible for communicating the needs of the groups they represent to the senate and president.
ASI Vice President Leen Almahdi explained how the positions are appointed.
“The ones that were confirmed were interviewed by the president [of ASI] and the chief diversity officer,” she said.
Almahdi added that commissioner’s job is to represent an aspect of Long Beach State’s diverse population and is part of the reason for the Chief Diversity Officer interview.
ASI Senate made time for the applicants to speak about their goals for the positions.
Lee and Rodriguez were not present at Wednesday’s ASI Senate meeting, but Triska was present and spoke about her hopes for the position.
“Since I came here, I faced issues with housing security, also the fear of not paying my fees on time … these are things I want to take into account,” she said. “I want to be that person who empowers international students.”
The senate voted unanimously to appoint Triska.
Senator Omar Prudencio Gonzalez spoke after the meeting about Triska’s professionalism.
“She is friendly, she is amazing, she speaks for herself,” he said. “You can tell she genuinely cares about the issues that students from international communities face.”
After the meeting, Triska explained that her sense of civic duty combined with being an international student made her perfect for the position.
While Rodriguez wasn’t present, she did send a written statement.
“I truly believe great things are coming on campus for pregnant and parenting students,” Rodriguez wrote. “It is truly a privilege to be in this position and to advocate for the needs of the community on campus.”
Rodriguez was confirmed unanimously.
Lee’s message was presented before the senate where he stated that his status as a member of the reserves and his current work as the president of the Student Council of Natural Sciences as well as his position in the Anime Club qualify him for the position.
Lee was also confirmed unanimously.
The next ASI meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 in USU 234.
