Justice Dumlao for Associated Students President

As the face of the association, the Associated Students president must be a leader who can understand the diverse student body at UC Santa Barbara and work to create tangible projects intended to serve all students.

With experience working with different groups on campus and a firm set of goals for his time as president of the association, Justice Dumlao demonstrates the leadership qualities that could improve A.S. from the top down.

Dumlao has served as the co-chair of the A.S. Queer Commission, diversity education coordinator for the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (RCSGD), a board member of the Student Affairs Student Council and a director for the Coalition for a Better UC.

The candidate’s experience working in all corners of campus demonstrates his ability to communicate with both students and administration.

Dumlao, a third-year global studies major, has a dedication to making A.S. more accessible to all students in a tangible way; he proposes hiring presidential liaisons from various communities on campus to work directly with his office.

Dumlao also understands the importance of putting student money to good use. His plan for a fiscal accountability task force would reallocate unused student funds for projects within A.S. and, if Dumlao follows through, could help ensure students’ money is not wasted.

The Nexus is also interested in Dumlao’s idea to reform UCSB students’ healthcare.

Dumlao wants Student Health to accept all major insurance providers, as he said the service currently only accepts Gaucho Health Insurance. Through Dumlao’s plan to incorporate UCSB into the UC Health system, more students will have access to Student Health services, regardless of their insurance plan.

While Dumlao is an advocate for empowering student voices within the association and has long-term goals like healthcare reform, the candidate also understands the day-to-day lives of students on campus.

Dumlao’s proposal to create community study spaces in the library would provide a location for students of shared majors to study and communicate, which he said will facilitate more dialogue among the student body.

While vague in its implementation, Dumlao’s eagerness to create small- and large-scale change on campus is admirable in a presidential candidate, especially with a term limited to a school year.

Brooke Kopel, Dumlao’s opponent running with Campus United, is qualified for the job of president with her experience as an L&S senator and an apparent dedication to equality for students.

Yet Kopel’s primary concrete plan for a natural disaster relief program, while well-intentioned in its structure, does not compare with Dumlao’s presentation of multiple feasible ideas and projects.

Dumlao should also remember to carry himself with the dignity of his position, as his conduct in opposing ideas he disagrees with has a strong possibility of causing rifts within the organization.

Dumlao has ambitious goals and a series of plans for tangible projects, but the Nexus would like to remind the candidate to remain inclusive of all perspectives as the leader of the student body.

A version of this article appeared on p.3 of the April 19 print edition of the Daily Nexus.