Position: Vice President of University Affairs

Name: Julia Lloren

Slate: N/A

Year: Sophomore

Major: Double major in theater arts, with an emphasis on performance and political science.

Why did you decide to run for this position? 

“Throughout high school I was really involved with leadership and once I got to San Diego State,  I didn’t really know if I wanted to take that student leader position again and so throughout my freshman year I wasn’t really involved with A.S. until I’ve really found out that I needed to do something for students, like me, who don’t really know what’s going on, because from that past student leader perspective. I knew that we were not learning about things or hearing about things from our school and our administration, and so I really felt the need to go back into that role and at least let students know what’s happening in our school, so I got involved with the University Affairs board at first and then we started the Your Voice Matters movement.”

“Throughout campus and with the University Affairs board, I really thought, and I really know that I found my place in this school and how we can really advocate for other students so then after the University Affairs board I started to go into more of an actual role as representative for the College of PSFA and with that, then I found out even more about what students are going through in a specific college. By finding out what students are actually going through, especially during coven and how that transition is so impactful. I really told myself, ‘Okay, we have so many problems and so many not problems but situations that we should fix, especially if we are transitioning back to on-campus classes, so I think really what I found through these two A.S. leadership positions was we need someone who understands as a student and who was just a student before being a student leader what the entire community goes through, and so that’s why I felt the need that I could be a great representative, as the next VP (of University Affairs).”

What makes you qualified for this position? What is your history with A.S.?

“Working with our past VPUA and Crystal Sanchez, our current VPUA, she really taught me a lot of things from people, College Council meetings, and seeing how she worked and seeing what she did, and knowing how much she put in behind the scenes through everything we’ve been hearing with our directors, it really gave me this ‘I want to be like her, I want to do things for others like her’… Just knowing that I’m helping other people who are going through similar situations as me is just like a really rewarding feeling. It’s a really important thing because once you do that, you create a better community and once you create a better community, you create a better school that lasts for generations to come and I think that’s important. I feel I am qualified as a leader and as a student to really just represent a normal student body. I feel like I’m qualified as a leader and as a student to really just represent a normal student body. That’s what we are, we’re all the same, except we just need our voices to be heard more and that’s why I think I’d be great as VPUA.”  

What would you like to change at SDSU?

“I have a few key angles, obviously there’s going to be more, but the first is a smooth transition back to on-campus class. Going off-campus online was hard enough, but for the students to not have any college experience and not even get to have a graduation from high school, that’s going to be so much harder for them to really adjust to. A totally even bigger world than a normal student will go into college.”

“I also really want to advocate for those in Greek life, you know Greek life, sometimes gets a bad rap but I don’t think the administration truly understands, you know what I’m going through or how we can better. show how you know the compliment our university and how they can add two different types of groups, you know there are always different types of groups and let’s instead of making it something that’s so bad let’s make it something that’s positive.” 

“Not only this but mental health awareness resources especially during now, I think it’s more important than ever that people are going through so much more. We had the Your Voice Matters movement, which was great for people to voice their opinions and how they feel and get those resources. I think we just need to make a bigger implementation into the school of how we can really help students out in that way because that’s a really important thing to me and also, our privacy as students, you know through zoom we had Respondus and that was something that kind of took away our private lives, or even being in your room teachers telling you turn on your cameras, you know it’s not really comfortable for everyone. Even with the school going on to students, you know social media calling them out and emails getting stuff like that I think we have to be more aware and more justified of why we’re not.” 

“I want to implement programs that advocate for people of color. As a person of color myself, all my friends are generally white people. I’m from the Bay Area, a very diverse place, and I didn’t really feel like I had a place to go to where my people were. I know there are a lot of student groups and organizations that help with that but it’s just the feeling if the university cares and just really recognizes us as students and our struggles that we have to face. I really want to advocate programs that can help the school realize that and help us as students.” 

“Lastly, I just want to help student voices when approaching concepts like spring break. When I wasn’t in leadership, I didn’t really know about things like this past spring break, a lot of people didn’t know about it either. This is something I recognize — how are we going to let students know what’s going on? How are we going to let them use their voice? We are the voice for them.” 

“These are just some of the reasons I why and what I want to implement into the school and university affairs. This is exactly what I want to do.”

Can you name something you like and something you dislike about A.S.?

“Something I really like is how much we actually really put into doing things for others in the school. I don’t think a lot of people realize how much time and effort we have to put into new situations or legislation and bringing it forth to our university. I don’t think like I don’t think as a student body we totally recognize how much A.S. does and so that’s something that was really just amazing to me. Coming into and when I was new to A.S., I was like ‘There is so much our student leaders are doing for us’. “

“Something I dislike about A.S. is that although it is welcoming, you have to find your place and it’s so much harder especially over Zoom. I’m running independently like I don’t have a group to run with like everyone else does so it’s a scarier thing, but at the same time, you know it still makes me want more and so that’s a little that’s something that’s like.”

“I’m running independently. I don’t have a group to run with like everyone else does, so it’s a scarier thing, but at the same time, you know it still makes me want more and so that’s a little that’s something that I like.”

What will be your top three priorities in this role?

“Using students’ voices when approaching spring break, advocating for people of color and mental health awareness but they’re all equally important to me.”