Students take the podium at Associated Students Organization forum

By Drex Carratala • April 10, 2025

Candidates for the Associated Students Organization, the student government at El Camino College, gather for a picture at the Student Services Plaza during the ASO Candidate Forum on Tuesday, April 8. This forum was the second one held this semester for students running in the ASO election. (Oriana de Quay | The Union)

Candidates aiming for student government positions at El Camino College gave speeches and answered questions about their campaigns at a forum held Tuesday, April 8.

The Associated Students Organization is the elected student government at ECC and represents the student body on campus.

ASO elections take place every year during the spring semester. About 30 students in total are campaigning for an ASO position this election.

Currently there are campaigns to fill 18 different positions, ranging from president and student trustee to director of finance and senator of business.

El Camino College student Zainab Farrukh, who is running for the Associated Students Organization director of finance position, watches a speech during the ASO Candidate Forum on Tuesday, April 8. Farrukh graduated high school two years early and was her class valedictorian. She said that as a first generation student, she understands financial barriers. (Oriana de Quay | The Union)

During the forum, many students took to the podium to communicate their pursuits and goals for the positions they were running for.

“We got people … with a wide variety of not only interests and goals within the organization but also backgrounds, [and we] made sure everyone is included,” ASO Vice President Isaac Alpert, 19, political science major, said.

ASO Commissioner of Student Services Jocelyn Coenmans, campaigning for ASO senator of external affairs, was one of several students speaking during the forum.

She is currently a full-time student with a unique academic path.

Majoring in political science, economics and early childhood education, she aims to be committed to improving student experiences.

Jocelyn Coenmans speaking for at the ASO forum for the position of senator of external affairs. She speaks on the topics of community building at El Camino and community engagement during the event and how to build an equitable community on campus. (Drex Carratala, The Union) — Associated Students Organization Commissioner of Student Services Jocelyn Coenmans speaks at the ASO Candidate Forum for the position of ASO senator of external affairs on Tuesday, April 8. She talked about community building, community engagement and how to build an equitable community on campus. (Drex Carratala | The Union)

She recently had the opportunity to work with ASO’s lobbying delegation at the state level to advocate for student rights.

Coenmans worked with state representatives on policies such as Assembly Bill 49, a bill limiting the authority of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in school settings.

She also worked on Assembly Bill 90, which aims to give unhoused students access to resources and safe overnight parking.

“I will advocate for students not just at El Camino, but at the local, state, and national level,” Coenmans said. “Any platform your voice deserves to be heard. I will also empower students to be civically engaged.”

Saimon Sisson speaking for the position of ASO Director of Finance at the ASO candidate forum. — El Camino College student Saimon Sisson speaks at the podium for the position of Associated Students Organization director of finance at the ASO Candidate Forum on Tuesday, April 8. (Dex Carratala | The Union)

Many candidates took very different approaches in how to campaign and in what they wanted to accomplish on campus.

Saimon Sisson took the stage for ASO’s director of finance position and answered a question about student engagement on campus.

“It’ll be fun, I’ll make it fun,” Sisson said. “I’ll make ASO great again!”

When asked about the college’s budget deficit and federal cuts on educational funding, Sisson said his approach to unexpected ASO funding cuts would be to get rid of “terrible clubs.”

When the audience pressed further on what clubs were terrible, Sisson began to face pushback and reconsidered his stance.

The variety of perspectives and campaign approaches of each candidate provides students with the opportunity for a diverse body of representatives on campus.

El Camino College student Joshua Arasheben speaks at the podium during the Associated Students Organization Candidate Forum on April 8 at El Camino College. He is campaigning to be the next ASO vice president. Arasheben said he is running to "make ASO better for you, for the students." (Vincent Lombardo | The Union) — Associated Students Organization Senator of Industry and Technology Joshua Arasheben speaks at the podium during the ASO Candidate Forum on Tuesday, April 8, at El Camino College. He is campaigning to be the next ASO vice president. Arasheben said he is running to “make ASO better for you, for the students.” (Vincent Lombardo | The Union)

“I enjoyed the varied perspectives we got today,” Alpert said.

Any student may cast a ballot in the ASO election. Elections will be held online through Engage beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, April 28, and ending at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 1.

Voting stations will be available at the Library Lawn, the Student Services Building and the Math, Business and Allied Health Building from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Monday, April 28, and ending Thursday, May 1.

Editor’s note: Captions were updated Friday, April 11.