Otterbein University Student Government (OUSG) President Joseline Martinez-Cortez and Vice President Cayla Andrick set four basic tenants in their candidacy statement to cover while in office.
First on their agenda was to continue fighting for transparency between the school’s administration and students, building on the foundation of OUSG’s previous administration.
“I think for Cayla and I, we want to make sure that students still have a voice at the table and that we are still being given information as it comes,” said Martinez-Cortez.
The second pillar on the candidacy statement was tackling the challenge of diversity. Both Martinez-Cortez and Andrick stated that they would work harder to “bridge gaps between majorities and minorities at all levels.”
Martinez-Cortez also stated that OUSG is planning on having another diversity-centered town hall meeting, hoping for the same success their last one produced, as it was centered specifically around racial diversity on campus.
“We left space for students to be able to voice their own narratives, which was really moving and special to us, so that is something we want to do again,” said Martinez-Cortez.
According to Martinez-Cortez, it is important for Otterbein and OUSG to recognize the diversity of the students, knowing that they are all valid, whether it be political affiliation, race identity or gender identity.
Another addition that their platform included was making sure mental health was a top priority, especially due to COVID-19.
“Mental health is something that is really important for us all of the time,” said Martinez-Cortez. “We decided to put it on our platform because of the way [COVID-19] has affected all of us in so many different ways.”
Martinez-Cortez stated that it was important for OUSG to make sure students still have mental health resources available to them, like the counseling center.
The Martinez-Cortez and Andrick administration added something new to their platform as compared to past administrations.
Student involvement is important to OUSG in many ways. They feel as though COVID-19 has left an impact on how students get involved and interact socially on campus.
According to their candidacy statement, Martinez-Cortez and Andrick state that “many student organizations feel left behind or unsupported.”
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