Associated Students, Inc. will be holding student body elections for next term starting March 22.

This year's ballot has 32 candidates from two slates, the Dream Team and We the People, as well as independent candidates.

ASI controls a budget of approximately $3.2 million annually, which primarily comes from student fees of $42 per student. This money is used to fund various student organizations, programs and events that are put together by ASI.

Presidential candidate Cynthia Ashton, who is running with the Dream Team, said that her biggest responsibility would be to help keep the student government run by students without being overly persuaded by full-time staff or people who have been at SF State for a long time.

"I would try to emphasize both perspectives and help them realize the best decision they can make," the liberal studies major said.

"I really hope that everyone on the board (who wins) carries different perspectives, that way they would collaborate more to draw to a better conclusion," Ashton said. "I feel like if no one has the same idea, then they can create a better alternative idea."

Opposing her is Isaac Reed, who is running for president with We the People. He wants to knock out the middleman and be a direct advocate for students.

"This is really necessary --especially in a time when students are concerned about the budget crisis, funding for their organizations, different policies and procedures and how they must go about things," the criminal justice major said.

Reed is hoping that if he deals directly with students as president, then it will reduce the "negative impact that the student government has on students."

"I really pray that more students would care about the student government because they are supposed to represent you," Ashton said. "But I feel like students care a lot more this year than previous years because of the difficult climate we're suffering in."
Graduate student Raj Desai said he will vote in next week's elections even though he has never bothered to in the past.

"I think it's about time for change," he said. "We need representatives in ASI that are for the students and who will stand up to the administration, especially now with the budget cuts."