Next month, the Associated Students of Grossmont College (ASGC) will be holding its annual elections for a variety of positions in its participatory student governing structure. All members of Grossmont’s population are urged to participate in the civic event.

It is no secret the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of campus life when remote learning had to temporarily take over; ASGC was no exception to this disruption. “COVID has certainly impacted our participation in student government,” said Heriberto Vasquez, director of Student Development, about the difficulties the pandemic has brought on the ASGC.

If you look at the ASGC page on the Grossmont campus website, you will notice that of the 13-member body there are seven current vacancies, including the recent resignation of the president. 

“The pandemic crippled a lot of student organizations,” Grossmont Student Trustee Benjamin Blevins said. “Before the pandemic, we had a full organization; all roles were filled.”

Now that the campus is returning to life, there is hope it can also be returned to the ASGC. Current members of the ASGC and the Student Affairs Office are looking to spike student turnout and engagement, and they are attempting to encourage and inform as many people as possible to get involved. 

“There are a lot of experiences, opportunities and people you meet serving in student government,” Blevins said. “Leadership is what you make of it.” 

Besides the networking opportunities ASGC provides, its members can also wield a considerable amount of influence and responsibilities as a student governing group.  The organization’s key duties are student advocacy, planning campus events, chartering clubs and facilitating the inter-club council. As elected members, they also represent the views and voices of the Grossmont student population, which makes their presence and input integral to the campus community. 

“They can have a great deal if used correctly and a great deal of clout if used correctly,” Blevins said. “If they attend meetings, if they speak at meetings, if they show up.”

Those wishing to put their name out in hopes of getting elected to one of the open positions must fill out a candidate application form online by 4 p.m. on April 8. Applicants will need to meet the required criteria of enrollment in a minimum of five units (six for ASGC president) and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 (2.0 for Student Trustee). 

Prospective candidates are also encouraged to attend the online informational sessions occurring April 5 to 7, which can be used to ask questions and learn more about the election and campaigning. The campaigning period for the election will begin a week prior to the election, running from April 11 to 15. 

The election is held from midnight on April 20 to April 21 at 11:59 p.m. It is administered by an independent student elections committee. This will give voters a roughly 48-hour period to cast the ballots provided through an email sent by the Student Affairs Office to all currently registered students. 

Government elections play a critical role in American life, and student government elections play an important role in student life. It is no wonder there is an effort to inform as many individuals among the campus population as possible to make their vote known.

“Think big,” Vasquez said adamantly when asked what message he has for students regarding the upcoming elections. “Some people have an illusion of leadership, and the one thing I would tell any student is just by virtue of coming here and taking advantage of this educational opportunity, you are a leader.”