Editor\u2019s note: ASUC senate candidate profiles are organized by platform to highlight similarities and differences between candidates with similar goals. While a number of candidates are passionate about many issues, they were asked to identify the platforms that mattered to them most.<\/p>\n
Dan Gotesdyner, Independent<\/p>\n
Junior transfer student Dan Gotesdyner is running independently for ASUC Senate on platforms of increasing addiction support and addressing the cost of living.<\/p>\n
Gotesdyner, a data science major, said he was inspired to run after struggling with addiction in the \u201csubstance vortex\u201d of the college environment. His plans include collaborating with the Basic Needs Center to create a dedicated physical space on campus for those struggling with substance abuse.<\/p>\n
Gotesdyner also aims to tackle the high cost of attending UC Berkeley, which he said can act as a \u201cbarrier to entry\u201d for some. He wants to create an opt-in alternative for certain fees that students pay each semester, particularly the $229 transit fee and the $666 student services fee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we have the opportunity to make this campus better and more supportive for the students the (ASUC) is meant to serve, and I am running to do my very best to make that happen,\u201d Gotesydner said.<\/p>\n
Cece Hammond, Independent<\/p>\n
Sophomore Cece Hammond, a cognitive science and media studies double major, is running independently for ASUC Senate on platforms of basic needs, health and wellness and campus sustainability, as well as academic and professional opportunities.<\/p>\n
Hammond said she hopes to bridge the gap between how many good ideas are floated and how many end up being executed, focusing on improving \u201cvital\u201d campus resources and basic needs as a way to promote student success and well-being on campus.<\/p>\n
Currently, she serves as a communications associate under the Office of the President and on the Sexual Violence Commission, alongside other roles. Outside of the ASUC, Hammond works for UC Berkeley Recreation and Wellbeing and is the vice president of executive affairs for Kappa Alpha Theta.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that anyone here deserves to feel like a small fish in a big pond,\u201d Hammond said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big university, but at the end of the day, we are all simply a community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kavyun Parker, Independent<\/p>\n
Sophomore Kavyun Parker is running for ASUC Senate as an independent to advocate for affordable housing accessibility, BIPOC advocacy and educational resource development.<\/p>\n
Parker, a lead executive for Black and African student empowerment in Senator Margaret Solomon\u2019s office, has two years of ASUC experience and is endorsed by the Black Student Union.<\/p>\n
Parker hopes to expand visibility for affordable housing opportunities \u2014 such as the Berkeley Student Cooperative \u2014 and collaborate with local organizations to increase food security. He also aims to expand Open Educational Resources to improve affordability.<\/p>\n
Parker further plans to increase internship and fellowship listings to expand opportunities for BIPOC and first-generation students, among others. He will also push for greater accountability for student organizations regarding discrimination and increased Black representation in institutional decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s something wrong, it\u2019s wrong; if something is right, it\u2019s right \u2014 and I\u2019m gonna stand up and I\u2019m gonna say it,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s note: ASUC senate candidate profiles are organized by platform to highlight similarities and differences between candidates with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259527,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[113845,143,145,144],"class_list":["post-259526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-asuc_elections_2026","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259526\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}