Given everything that occurs on campus, it can be easy to forget how much planning goes into scheduling, organizing and running each individual event. These tasks are assigned to senate members of the Associated Students of Sierra College, or the ASSC.
What is the ASSC?
The board, consisting of 12 student senators and senate officers, represents the Sierra College student body – a group of approximately 19,000 proud Wolverines. Their roles, as described by President and Student Trustee Jose Rubio during an interview on Aug. 29, are to “get the resources out, but also [to inform] our student body of what they have access to.”
As president and student trustee, Rubio takes on a dual-action role, which is often seen in smaller school districts. Sierra College stands alone in the Sierra Joint Community College District, which explains the ability to blend together the positions. However, in larger districts such as the local Los Rios Community College District – which features four colleges – the student councils “split the roles and have two different people managing the respective roles,” Rubio said.
The rest of the ASSC board is composed of six other officers, alongside five student senators. The officer positions include the executive vice president and five director positions, each responsible for a different aspect of Sierra College behind the scenes.
Roundhouse took the opportunity on Aug. 29 to attend the ASSC’s “Meet the Board” event inside the cafeteria, where reporters spoke with Director of Communication Marcus King and Director of Public Relations Rishida Williams in addition to meeting with President Rubio.
The Goal
One thing that became apparent through speaking with the ASSC board? They prioritize student voices.
“No matter what background they’re coming from [or] their identity, I want to make sure everyone has a voice at this campus,” King said. “I want to make sure everyone is getting heard.”
In his role, King’s focus is to “promote campus events, and usually take part in those campus events as well.” With a focus on communication, it is imperative for Director King to participate in the many events held by the ASSC on campus and collect feedback from the student participants.
Director King identified these events as allowing Wolverines to “chill, hang out with each other, meet new people, and just make the most out of their community college experience.”
In a similar fashion to Director King, Director Williams emphasized the significance of platforming student engagement.
“We aim to get more and more students involved… We want students to know that their voices matter– on any topic.”
President Rubio, in his unique role, feels a greater need to represent and support the voices of his student body however possible, including financially. Rubio said:
“As student president and trustee, the job is to get the resources out by informing our student body of what we have and what they have access to.”
He continued, “I don’t see why I would ever veto a bill that sponsors student activities on campus.”
Wolverines in clubs are able to request funding for events from the ASSC through attending meetings with the Inter Club Council (ICC). In order to qualify for funding, the club must be officially recognized as active and must attend at least one additional ICC meeting.
The ASSC Activity Sticker
During registration, Wolverines may notice a $10 fee on their bill labeled as “ASSC Activity Sticker” and, without batting an eye, agree to the terms of payment. However, there could be much more included with the $10 price tag which increases its value drastically.
After applying the sticker to one’s ID card, they are opened up to a world of opportunity on campus, including discounted apparel in the Sierra Bookstore, and even the ability to obtain a bi-weekly meal voucher.
Almost Free Food provides Wolverines with a $7 voucher which may be applied to anything within the Wolverine Café or The Den. These tickets, which must be used during the same week of being issued, are available to all students with a valid ASSC Activity Sticker.
Williams said: “You can get almost free food every other week, just pick [the voucher] up in J7!”
How to Become a Senator
While all Wolverines are members of the ASSC, those who are looking for a position on the board are encouraged to apply. All positions, aside from the president and student trustee role, follow this same appointment process.
“If you want to get appointed after the general election, which is in the fall… [students] have to attend at least three consecutive meetings in the public or online, and then they have to go through the application process,” Rubio said. He added:
“We have these opportunities to run for these positions. Why not take it?”
Despite his current role, Rubio had “no previous student body government experience” and felt like an “underdog” in his campaign. While Rubio holds high positions in the Puente and Dream clubs, as well as strongly supporting the efforts of ECOS, he never thought of himself as holding “a position of power.”
This is a firsthand representation for Wolverines that the only requirement to become a student senator or officer is to be determined. These positions do not require experience nor a professional background, and are open to those interested and dedicated to the support of Sierra College and its students.
When asked about the benefits of being on ASSC, Public Relations Director, Rishida Williams said: “The benefits? Experience in general– and public speaking and knowing how to present yourself.”
These are just a few of the advantages senators and officers alike obtain through serving on the board, according to Director Williams. President Rubio stressed communication. He smiled and said: “[Every day], I say ‘hi’ to 20-50 people, and I feel like that’s pretty low.”
For more information about the ASSC and the opportunities they provide for senators and officers, feel free to reach out to the board, or attend one of their meetings.
Note: Thanks to the fall 2024 Roundhouse Team including H.A. Garcia, Malia Koch, Tyler Williams, Zoë Nead, Rich Tarrant, Anthony Soria, Parker McCrary, and Lydia Creed for their collaborative work learning through reporting on this project with Matty Hauth.
Written and Reported by Matty Hauth
