AS Administrative Vice President will take over for the spring semester
Associated Students President Yadira Cruz resigned during the AS Board of Directors meeting on Dec. 3, citing personal reasons.
“It was a difficult decision I had to make, but it was the best option academically and personally,” Cruz said a few days later.
Cruz, who fought back tears when interviewed, said the AS Board, composed entirely of Humboldt State students, offered her consolation despite some of them seeming shocked by the decision.
“They were super supportive. Some people teared up, and a few of them apologized, but I didn’t want them to apologize because politics is politics, and it’s challenging,” Cruz said. “They thought they weren’t there for me, but they were always there.”
The AS codes provide that the AS Administrative Vice President takes over if the president resigns. In this case, Lizbeth Cano, a sophomore business administration major, will take the reins for the rest of the school year.
“It’s going to be big shoes to fill in because I got to see how Yadira got everyone involved and was able to always get people to really get their opinion,” Cano said. “One thing I’ll take from her is to make sure to get the whole room involved.”
“I think I’ll always feel a little bit of guilt, because I knew this was a year-long position.”
Yadira Cruz
Cruz was announced as the 2019-2020 academic year AS president last April. A senior criminology and justice studies major, Cruz said she ran despite her lack of political experience to try to do something with her frustration about a lack of support for student needs.
While Cruz said she’s happy with her decision to resign and with her time as president, she acknowledged a feeling of guilt.
“I think I’ll always feel a little bit of guilt, because I knew this was a year-long position,” Cruz said.
As a takeaway message, Cruz urged fellow students to make sure to take care of themselves.
“The transition will help AS become stronger, I think, moving forward.”
Yadira Cruz
“A lot of these students are working and involved and there’s a lot of things that they carry,” Cruz said. “And I think I’m just speaking as first-gen, as a student of color attending here. There’s a lot of things just added to it all, to the whole balance for schedules. But I think my point is just to take care of themselves as well—to find time.”
Cano agreed and supported Cruz in her decision.
“I think it’s time she prioritized herself,” Cano said.
Both Cruz and Cano said they still hoped for more students to get involved on campus with AS or elsewhere.
“Definitely using all of our different hats and letting people know that this is important and this is something that really matters and that they can have a say in it without it being troubling or problematic,” Cano said. “Because I think a lot of people can think that it’s too much work.”
Cruz responded to the implication of her resignation on the image of an AS position being a lot of work by saying that how much people do in AS depends on the individual and their goals. Cano agreed and added on Cruz’s point.
“I think it also has to be kept in mind that the position that’s being resigned is the president position—meaning the top position,” Cano said. “So definitely getting involved as a representative or maybe as an executive like a VP—it can be a different flow. It can really be a learning process.”
As Cano transitions into the the presidential role, Cruz said she thinks AS can learn and grow following her departure.
“The transition will help AS become stronger, I think, moving forward,” Cruz said.
