As the Associated Students President, it is my pleasure to address your concerns regarding our current Campus Center, and propose a solution for the betterment of our beloved Moorpark College.

The first and most significant problem is the lack of a proper cafeteria in our Campus Center. Some of you have neither the transportation nor the time to go elsewhere for food, but that does not mean you should pay a high price for a low-quality meals. Moreover, it is not uncommon to find a lack of eating utensils or napkins, making it all the more challenging to have an adequate meal.

While the use of vending machines may be a quick fix for the lack of food on campus, it does not reflect Moorpark College’s vision statement.

“Actions and decisions are based on [providing] the best services, programs, and opportunities for [the] students,” as noted in the vision statement.

Moorpark College undoubtedly provides some of the best academic programs, but does it provide the best services as well?

Moorpark College has one of the highest transfer success rates in the state and provides some of the best academic programs, but what makes a college truly exceptional is both stellar academics combined with a strong sense of community.

Without a sufficient Campus Center, the college will never be able to reach its full potential.

The second concern is that students do not have a common place to meet up and socialize. I know that you do not want to have to succumb to texts and emails as forms of communication, but rather have a place to be able to converse with classmates, make new contacts, and relieve stress.

The only place that 14,000 students have is the current 48 year-old Campus Center, whose doors close by 6:30 p.m. As Moorpark College students, you deserve significantly more.

In answer to these concerns, I am proposing to renovate and build a new Student Union (Campus Center). In 2000, the Associated Students started collecting $10 from each student, each semester, to build the Student Union.

Now, after 14 years, we have over $2.5 million in cash, plus $150 thousand added to it each year. I understand that $2.6 million is not enough to renovate a whole building, but it can at least be used to start this project.

We can build a proper cafeteria, a beautiful lounge, and multi purpose rooms, with doors open beyond the normal operating hours.

By building the new Student Union, our college will not only provide the best academic programs, but also the best services and opportunities for our students.