Varsha Sarveshwar

The ASUC Senate held its final meeting of the academic year virtually Wednesday to discuss COVID-19 pandemic relief for students along with several other bills.

On Wednesday, the ASUC Senate held its penultimate meeting of the academic year virtually to discuss ongoing work regarding COVID-19 relief and several bills.

Although resolutions could be one of the clearest ways to make a statement as a senator, in looking across several UC campuses it is clear that, to various members of student governments, passing bills may not be the most important part of the job.

During its meeting Wednesday, the ASUC Senate heard from CalTV representatives and discussed campus's responses to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, addressing topics such as student aid and academic instruction for the fall 2020 semester.

After the 2020 ASUC elections, the current executive officers’ term is coming to a close. COVID-19 has created a unique situation on campus and while all executives continue work on their platforms, most found themselves adjusting their plans to address current campus needs.

Next year’s executive offices will be filled by independent candidate Victoria Vera as president, current ASUC Senator Melvin Tangonan as executive vice president, current ASUC Senator Nicole Anyanwu as academic affairs vice president, current ASUC Senator Derek Imai as external affairs vice president and independent candidate Joyce Huchin as student advocate.

Throughout the ASUC election season, candidates have run their campaigns with personal contributions, donations or without any funding.

Women are better represented on UC Berkeley’s campus than ever before, however, sexism and unequal distributions of power still leave room for improvement, many say. UC Berkeley has come a long way since 1870, when female students were first accepted on campus.

From April 6-8, the 2020 ASUC elections provide students with the opportunity to vote for candidates and two propositions: the Class Pass Student Fee Renewal and Graduate Student Government Independence referendums.

Campus junior Augusto Gonzalez aims to promote sustainability, cheaper transportation and financial wellness, among others, at UC Berkeley as a candidate for ASUC external affairs vice president, or EAVP, ASUC Senate and transfer representative.