Amanda Gonzalez was just elected SGA vice president. She is a junior marketing major. She is also an R.A. and is a member of the Phi Mu sorority.
What made you run for SGA? Do you have any big projects in mind for the coming year?
There are a lot of reasons why I wanted to run for SGA! One of the main ones was contributing my perspective as a transfer student. I transferred a year ago, and my transfer process was a bit all over the place. I sometimes felt there was a lack of communication between me and administrators, and I felt as though I was missing things that I would not have missed if I had come in as a freshman.
One of the biggest things I would like to do in my term is to seek advocacy for transfer and non-traditional students. It’s hard for those kinds of students to get involved without being extroverted and going out of their way to attend things like Stars 101 and involvement fairs. I would like to make things easier for transfer students to feel included in the campus community, whether it’s creating a club or creating a specific counselor or advisor to make their transition smoother.
What are some other things that you want to change on campus?
Obviously, one of our largest issues is the lack of sustainability and recycling programs, which students on campus are really advocating for. The situation is a lot more nuanced and complicated than it seems. Oklahoma City does not have its own recycling program. Even if we as a university created one, there would be no place to dispose of our waste.
We would like to create a campus compost, conserve energy better on campus–especially since some lights stay on at night, balancing safety with conservation is a priority–as well as figure out ways to preserve our campus water better. We want to collaborate with the student body and other campus organizations to improve sustainability the best that we can as it is one of the main issues that we want to tackle.
Another thing on our agenda is to expand the office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). As we were campaigning, a lot of students approached us to ask for more measures regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. I don’t think that DEI is something that student organizations should have to seek out, nor should it fall to them. It’s a policy that should be well established and integrated on our campus. We want to create more positions inside the DEI office so that more of these policies can be enacted and more people can feel free to go to them with concerns that they may have.
What are some things that you value in our campus community?
There are many things! One thing I really value is feeling like I can be myself here. Personally my experience with the campus environment is that it is welcoming. I did have to put myself out there, but once I did, everyone was very inclusive. As a transfer I felt lonely. I complained that I didn’t have any friends, and then a few seconds later, I had friends!
Everyone here is friendly and has stellar ideas. Students want OCU to grow in some way or another, and want to see their university prosper and thrive. At larger universities, you don’t really see this level of involvement. The student bodies are more isolated. But here at OCU, we are always looking towards what’s next and how to enact change, and I love that.
What made you want to work with BreAuna?
I love BreAuna! She is amazing. We’re both marketing majors, so we met in classes. We became closer when we started working on a class project. I knew I liked her because when I suggested a silly idea, that for a background audience we use stuffed animals, she loved it. That was the turning point when we became friends I think.
BreAuna is a go-getter, she does not sit down! She is selfless and does so much for everyone around her. BreAuna just truly wants to see the student body grow, and collaborate with everyone to create a better campus.
Now for the fun questions…any TV show recommendations?
Not to be a typical teenager, but the “Vampire Diaries” is so good! I’m currently rewatching it for the fourth time. I also love “The Good Place.” Chidi is my favorite character. I love watching his moral debate and indecision about everything.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That’s a hard question! Do I get a choice between breakfast, lunch and dinner? No? Then, I would have to choose pasta.
What words would your friends use to describe you?
I would say eccentric, energetic, optimistic, silly, loud…oh wait! My friend is sitting next to me and is texting me some words. She says I’m loyal, motivated, and loving. Aw!
What is your dream vacation?
Probably either New Zealand or Greece.
Your go-to song?
Right now, I am really liking “Rain” by Ben Platt.
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