By Tashanique Barrs
Staff Writer

The Associated Student Government held a Q&A for the candidates running for president of the student government in the Wacheno building. 

On April 23, an election committee made up of members of the Student Government organized the Q&A, and the three candidates shared information on what they’re planning to do when they potentially take office in the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Members of The Clackamas Print attended the event and asked some questions of the candidates.

Election Committee: What brought you to CCC?

Breanna Davis: Well, when I was in high school, I ended up taking some classes at CCC. My high school was right up the road, so it only made sense for me once I ended up finishing high school.

Kaytlen Thomas: So, I was a dropout student at 16 and gave birth to my son. What brought me here was getting out of a tough situation and all I wanted to do was better the future for my child. I found out from friends and relatives that CCC had this great reputation, so I took a dive at it.

Jorge Apodaca: I graduated from Canby High School; June 2023. I spent a month or two just working as a caregiver until I joined the theater. I joined the theater, and the rest was history because I started getting involved, such as FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and PTK (Phi Theta Kappa). Suddenly, I am applying for scholarships and student worker positions.

Jorge Apocada speaking during the Q&A. Photo by Jackson Arterberry

The Clackamas Print: I have noticed in a lot of your goals everyone mentioned meaningful events and bringing everyone together. Do you have any potential plans on how you expect to bring everyone together and what those events will look like?

Kaytlen Thomas: You know, that has a lot to do with promotion. Also, hearing your voices, I want to know what you want to see on campus. I think hearing from you and knowing what you would like to see on campus and then acting on that is going to be one of the first steps. An idea that I’ve had in mind: if I were to become president, it would be like a “coffee and concerns” event. Where I can offer coffee, tea, biscuits, and students can bring their concerns to us in a welcoming and meaningful environment.

Jorge Apodaca: Similar to what Kaytlen just said, what would you want to see and incorporate that with our events. I already know that the events that ASG puts on have that mind set up. Alluding to our values such as community and belonging, that’s why there’s a diverse set of themes, for example, domestic violence awareness month.

Breanna Davis: I would say for me as someone who works in the clubs department, I am very connected to all the events that the clubs want to do. I mean, they have so many wonderful ideas, ones to show their club to other people. But also get more engagement for members that are already there. So, I think promoting more of the individuals like student led club events would be amazing.  

Breanna Davis speaking during the Q&A. Photo by Jackson Arterberry

TCP: For candidates Breanna and Kaytlen, I’m wondering, you both talked about advocating for transparency on some of your campaign posters. I want to clarify what exactly transparency would look like under you?

Breanna Davis: I think events would be the main way to do it. Just sitting out in the main forum area for students to be able to come and talk to us. But then I think also during our ASG meetings, there should be more opportunities for students to come in to see what we’re doing. You know, how we function.

Kaytlen Thomas: Transparency for me, it’s going to look more like what I stated, having that open forum where students can come and voice their concerns. But then also having more of those meaningful events that students are looking for. I believe that when you come onto campus, I want at least one event to speak to you. And to make you feel like you belong there. Maybe going into different buildings and doing table lanes on what ASG is, how we support you all. Also how we advocate for you because it is not always easy for students to make it to us.

Kaytlen Thomas speaking during the Q&A. Photo by Jackson Arterberry

TCP: So, when you all mentioned forums and ways of communicating, is it going to be accessible in multiple ways? Are you going to increase your social media? Is it going to be e-mail? How do you plan to increase people’s involvement in those ways?

Breanna Davis: Just based on deciding what events to do and what not to do. I think going off some prior experience just seeing what events do work, which ones don’t, that would really help. Students aren’t the best with their emails. If it’s through Zoom or other technology options, I think that would be great. Also, our social media presence I think could be built up a little bit more. We just got access to a bunch of our social media that have been lost before. So, just taking advantage of that again.

Kaytlen Thomas: I would like to see it in person on campus and online. We do have a large number of online students, and that would look like more tabling and not just in the Wacheno Center. In different buildings where you know some of those students that are out in the tech center. They don’t ever make it all the way over here to the Wacheno Center. So putting us in those spaces and meeting those students where they are, but then also promoting it on the student bulletin.

Jorge Apodaca: It’s a very hands-on approach because as we receive feedback, as Kaytlen mentioned, ASG operates as a plethora of departments. So, they each get their respective information on a given week, then we all come together at the general meetings. So it’s just a matter of delegating and working collaboratively. As a president the job is to encourage and promote what the student government’s general goal is.

TCP: As president, what are some things that you would need to succeed in general?

Jorge Apocaca: I would need support from our advisers, which they show continuously. In a great manner through their counseling, their resource page, time and attention. Even as president we will still be student workers. So, we do have responsibilities that we need to lean on our team, our advisers and on the Counseling Center, just like any other student. So personally, I would say advisers, Counseling team, my family when I need it.

Breanna Davis: I would just say a good team. I mean every person who’s going to be in ASG next year is going to have something to bring to the table. And I think if they all came together with me as the head of it, I think we would be able to build a good system. That is not only supporting but also encouraging. That would mean that while I move forward to make moves, they also feel like their voices are being heard to help me do that.

Kaytlen Thomas: I would need supportive advisers, who have never failed us in any way. They are amazing but also have a supportive faculty. Being a leader, a full-time parent, a full-time student, and every other aspect of being a human we sometimes forget to submit something. I need to have instructors that are understanding but also a team that isn’t just supportive but understanding and empathetic. Because at the end of the day we are all just humans.

Group photo of ASG candidates. Photo by Jackson Arterberry

Online voting started Monday, April 28and will end on Thursday, May 1, at 11:59 p.m. CCC sent out a link to the online ballot via email.