Gabriel Gurulé (ballot #2) and Crystal Nguyen (#1) are running for the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico President and Vice President, respectively, and bringing experience and integrity to the position, Nguyen said. If elected, their presidency would center around experience, safety, sustainability and development, according to their campaign Instagram profile.
Gurulé has been an ASUNM Senator for four semesters while Nguyen has been a Senator for two. They have both held various positions within the Senate, such as Gurulé as President Pro Tempore in fall 2023 and Nguyen as the current Steering and Rules Committee Vice Chair.
“I feel like I've learned as much as I can about ASUNM to prepare me for this role … I've got my foot in the door. There’s definitely still a lot more to learn about leadership, but at least enough to be able to run ASUNM and keep it functioning, whether that’s working through conflicts or making long term plans,” Gurulé said.
As a senator, Gurulé recently worked with Lobo Spirit to establish a new position within ASUNM called “the project coordinator” who documents Lobo Spirit events and creates guides for future events. This position will help maintain the quality of events through the constant transitions that ASUNM undergoes, Gurulé said.
Nguyen has worked to better the community through volunteering with Albuquerque Public Schools and her old high school, she said. She is running for Vice President out of a love for public service and desire to continue helping people, Nguyen said.
Gurulé and Nguyen’s goals include increasing safety on campus through a request from the New Mexico State Legislature for greater security funding. They plan to increase cameras and lighting, especially in South Lot, Gurulé said.
On-campus motor vehicle theft increased by 55% from 2019 to 2022, according to UNM’s 2023 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report.
“We want to station either police or security at the bus stops both here on main campus, and then also at the satellite lots, just to ensure that, in case anything were to happen, we have someone who's already on site,” Gurulé said.
Gurulé and Nguyen would also plan to expand sustainability projects at UNM during their presidency. Among these projects are Ozzi-Boxes, which were recently implemented at Mandalay Express at the Student Union Building, Gurulé said. Ozzi-Boxes are reusable to-go food containers that reduce trash waste, according to UNM’s Sustainability Studies Program.
They also plan to push UNM to divest from oil investments. If elected, Gurulé and Nguyen would start working with the State government to create a plan that would change how the Opportunity Scholarship is funded, Gurulé said. Currently largely funded by oil revenues, Gurulé and Nguyen say the scholarship would ideally be funded through by clean energy stocks.
“A big thing that we've talked to student organizations about is the divestment of UNM from different funds in oil and gas or other companies that are supporting wars around the globe. One of the things we want to note is that we would push for UNM’s divestment (from in oil and gas),” Gurulé said.
Gurulé held a two-year tenure as president of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and Nguyen served as its Webmaster for a year. Gurulé and Nguyen's experience and ability to work together in IEEE persuaded them to run together for the ASUNM Presidency and Vice presidency, Gurulé said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“We've already learned how to work together, even though we may not agree on everything,” Gurulé said. “Crystal and I are truly a team, and we really know how to work together. I think that'll really help us out if we do end up winning the presidency as a label to make sure we not only work together but to work together with the rest of ASUNM and its entities.”
ASUNM’s elections begin Wednesday, March 20 at 9 a.m. and close on Thursday, March 21 at 5 p.m. according to the ASUNM Elections Commision. Polling locations have yet to be announced.
Nate Bernard is a beat reporter with the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo
