Laura and Eduardo are victorious

Jeff Hannig

The Advocate

 

Next year’s Associated Student Government (ASG) president and vice president look to boost family activities, fitness and veteran services at MHCC while they improve campus safety and student lobbying.

Laura Aguon and Eduardo Ortiz were announced May 11 as the winners for ASG president and vice president for the 2013-14 school year.

Aguon succeeds current ASG President William Miller.

Both the election winners went to Gresham High School, Aguon graduating in 2011 and Ortiz in 2012.

The two have worked together all this year at MHCC, but didn’t talk at all in high school, according to Ortiz.

Aguon became ASG Director of Communications last year, her first year at MHCC, and is currently ASG Director of State and Federal Affairs.

The inspiration for Ortiz, ASG Senator of Legislation this year, came while he served on the Multnomah Youth Commission. He met Jackie Altamirano, former ASG president at MHCC, who thought his qualifications would make him a great candidate for ASG office, he said.

The two have a great rapport and appear to be great friends, which they attribute to working together all year.

“Her being the Director of State and Federal Affairs and me being the Senator of Legislation, she is basically my boss,” Ortiz said.

“Being on student government – we had worked really closely together through the voter registration campaign (and with) the homeless veterans earlier this year, so we already knew how our personalities worked and bounced off each other,” he said.

Their similarities extend beyond campus.

Aguon said she snowboards in the winter and hikes during the summer, and Ortiz said he enjoys jogging and he bikes to school every day.

“He looks fabulous when he’s riding his bike,” Aguon said, prompting laughter from each.

Aguon turned to Ortiz last month after her original vice president running partner, Nathan Doering, chose to withdraw from the race.

“Nathan… for his own reasons (decided) it wasn’t his thing and I sent out a text to my campaign team,” Aguon said. “Eduardo was part of my staff and I had said ‘The only way we can continue to run is if I get a new vice president candidate.’ ”

Ortiz quickly responded to Aguon with an “I’m in” text message, she said.

The two pulled off a surprising write-in victory, an MHCC first.

Aguon and Ortiz said they had looked forward to the learning aspect of running for the top ASG spots, but were just as surprised as everyone when ballot results were announced at last Saturday’s Spring Dinner Dance.

How did they pull it off?

 

“We did a lot of ‘class raps’: It’s quick and catchy you go and introduce yourself and you tell (students) about your platform and what you want to do next year, ask if there are any questions and tell them how and when to vote, Aguon said.

Ortiz said, “It was important that students understood the power of democracy, that they knew they have an opportunity – as we stood in front of them – to have their voice heard.”

He added, “We took the time to explain our platform points and show them our plan.”

That plan is based on five points: legislative advocacy, public safety, more focus on military veterans, letting students know about the fitness resources they have on campus, and a focus on creating family inclusive activities/events.

The two said they are passionate about emergency call centers, teaching students about the dangers of taking too many student loans, focusing on the needs of veterans and making sure MHCC students are aware of the access they have to the gym, pool and other fitness resources.

Also, both Aguon and Ortiz are very family oriented, so they are excited about creating events in which students’ families can be part, they said.

Aguon said the focus on fitness was underscored by Ortiz’s focus on his own “freshman 15” – the 15 pounds of weight that many college freshman students add during a stressful school-work-life transformation. It quickly grew from an inside joke to a campaign emphasis.

All points of the duo’s campaign platform apparently hit close to home, for each.

Aguon has a daughter, and her partner is a veteran. Ortiz said his parents still struggle with English and so he remains the big go-between for his younger brother and his schoolteachers.

“Having family as a priority is something that is on a lot of students’ minds on campus,” said Ortiz. The average MHCC student is 27, Aguon noted, so the pair thought it would be great to offer more family inclusive events.

The two traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier with ASG representatives this school year to help make sure ”MHCC students were well represented in the face of legislation,” Aguon said.

Looking beyond MHCC, Aguon said she would like to transfer to a university. Ortiz is intent on heading to the University of Oregon.

Asked what her best experience in student government has been, Aguon said, “You get to see school from a different angle. You can play both roles.”

Ortiz said his perspective is shaped by coming from communities that have been, unfortunately, historically marginalized, and that he wants to help empower these communities in his future.

“We want to let students know that we have all these awesome opportunities on campus,” he said.