As the 2016 spring semester begins, so does the opportunity to become part of Associated Students at Sonoma State University. Do you want the opportunity for your voice to be heard and to make a difference in our University? If so, elections for the 2016/2017 year have opened and anyone who believes they are eligible should apply. Not only is it something great to put on a resume, but it also comes with gaining leadership skills as well as many other benefits, according to current officers.

“Being on Associated Students had many benefits and has been one of the best decisions I’ve made,” said Associated Students Vice President Kate Chavez. “Along with the professional skills acquired, we run a $2 million corporation and gain business skills.”

Associated Students includes Student Government, Associated Students Productions, Join Us Making Progress(JUMP), and the Children’s School on campus. Although all of these departments have separate intentions, each works to fulfill the overall goal of bettering the Sonoma State campus.

Associated Students are solely student run and serve as the voice of students to make Sonoma State an even better university to attend. The organizations consists of a 14-person senate with one senator from each academic school, six special interest senators and four executive board members.

The organization members are open to student ideas, interests and want to represent the student body in the best light. Associated Students’ goal is to advocate and represent the 9,400 students on the Sonoma State campus and to improve student life and experience. They also support and promote other programs and organizations to inform other students on how they can get involved on campus.

The current positions on the board are president, executive vice president and vice president of finance. Positions for school senators open for application include arts and humanities, business and economics, education, science and technology and social sciences. Special interests are looking for people to fill community affairs, diversity, involvement, students services, sustainability and undeclared.

Associated Students will be holding information sessions on various days to talk to students about what positions entail. The various sessions will be held by Associated Students and other board members to explain what they are looking for in a candidate. These include the week of Feb. 1 as well as the following week. All of these sessions will be held in Erin Fisher Room located on the second floor of the Student Center.

Applications are available to fill out online on Associated Students OrgSync page up until Feb. 26 no later than 5 p.m.

“After learning a bit about it I actually could be open to applying because I think it would look great on a resume as well as be a really good social skills challenge,” said environmental studies major Patricia Barr, “I also have some ideas about how to improve our campus like having more sections for major classes, because it was hard for me to register for the classes I needed.”