Candidates Miko Mariscal and Andrew Taw’s campaign is all about keeping USG transparent and increasing accessibility for students from underprivileged backgrounds to get involved with services around campus.
The pair includes short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals in their campaigning, such as the creation of a Project Tracker, Club and Career Resource guides and a more inclusive Trojan Family Weekend.
While Taw recognizes that the team’s campaign points seem less ambitious compared to other candidates, he says the reason for that is that they are confident that all their promises can be done within one year. He believes the pair stands out because they are very transparent and realistic, but still remain focused on serving the USC community.
Mariscal believes that their goals are definitely tangible within a year span and encourages students to reach out to them if there is anything else they would like to see in the future.
One of the ways the pair plans to achieve their goals is through the Project Tracker, an accountability tool that allows the student body to check on what is getting done within the student government. Students would be able to access the progress of newly created programs and projects, review descriptions of the various branches and departments of USG, and even access meeting minutes.
Being a first generation student herself, Mariscal noted how hard it can be for some to understand what exactly goes on within the student government and get involved if they wish.
“I was really interested in getting into university student government because I did it all throughout high school and middle school, but I was extremely confused and felt a little left out in the current conversations of how to make a change on my campus. [The tracker] would serve as a way to communicate to all students,” said Mariscal.
The pair’s campaign is extremely focused on accessibility, with some of their other goals including creating a Club Resource Guide, where students will have a centralized location for information on all clubs, and a Centralized Career and Professional Development Guide, so that students can easily navigate the opportunities that USC provides.
“The Club Resource Guide would help a lot of different students. So like commuter students who might not know what time to leave campus, transfer students who are looking into USC and want to see what clubs there are, as well as prospective families and students who oftentimes just feel a little scared to join different communities,” says Taw.
They note that while there are many resources available to get funding, there is a lack of knowledge within the student body. That’s why the pair plans on creating Funding 101 sessions so that these on-campus organizations can fully understand how to utilize the funding available for them through USG.
Another major promise Mariscal and Taw campaign for is increasing the accessibility of attending Trojan Family Weekend. The pair plans on creating a more inclusive environment for low-income families to participate in the celebrations with little to no costs.
Marsical says their slogan represents their campaign plans very well. “Our slogan is ‘We’re All In This Together.’ We essentially chose that, not only because of High School Musical but also because of the point that there (are) so many things on campus that would work better as a community.”
Taw agrees. “‘We’re all in this together’ is a very simplistic way to be like, yes, we’re all in this together. We are here to support you. And we want to bring the Trojan family together more,” says Taw.
Taw, already serving as the Director of Media at USG, says that the pair wants to emphasize that they plan to utilize existing clubs and organizations if elected. Both candidates are part of the Student Ambassador Program for the USC Admission Center and believe that their shared background in the program has allowed them to already work as a team in a professional setting. Taw also serves as the VP of External Affairs for Society 53, which he believes has taught him how to properly create a community by networking within the Student Alumni Association.
Miko Mariscal works as a First-Generation Student Leader in the Admission Center and a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Peer Educator through the Student Equity and Inclusion Programs (SEIP). She’s also a first generation college student from South Central Los Angeles, which she believes gives her a different perspective on what it’s like for some students to step onto USC’s campus and understand the way USC can affect the South Central area.