Four students are running to become Vice President of Facilities and Services next year. The main role is to oversee the aesthetics, functionality, and budget of the buildings owned by Associated Students, including the WREC, Bell Memorial Union, Estom Jamani Dining Hall, and other campus dining facilities.
Michael Parzieau’s main focus is on food waste, particularly in the dining hall. He wants to see the administration collect as many numbers as possible before choices are made.
Isaac Peña has spent the last year serving on facilities and services boards. He’s become familiar with how these function and now he feels confident in taking a leadership role.
Bareera Sana hopes to increase accessibility and affordability across campus, especially when it comes to food. She also plans to focus on the unmet needs of disabled students.
Edward Bobadilla was not available for an interview before deadline. His candidate bio can be found here.
Michael Parizeau
Michael Parizeau is currently a Resident Advisor for University Housing, so he said he’s used to resolving conflicts and communicating with higher-ups.
“I want to make things better for students, no matter how much administrative pushback there is,” he said.
As vice president, he would want to take a more statistical approach to Facilities and Services.
Parizeau loves the dining hall and he said it’s where he eats most of his meals. He thinks it’s incredibly run-well, always fully-staffed and fully-stocked. But there’s a glaring issue he sees with food waste.
If elected, Parizeau said he’d collect data on the dishes served at EJ to figure out which meals underperform and which ones are student favorites. He would then try to adjust the menu offerings based on his findings.
Parizeau said this would serve a dual purpose of improving student satisfaction while also minimizing food waste.
“Your decisions are only as good as the info that fuels them,” he said. “So if you have bad information and you make a decision based on that — even if you make the ‘right’ call — your information’s bad.”
He’s also hoping to make pick-up orders available at Estom Jamani dining hall again toward the end of the day, in an effort to curb food waste.
Parizeau calls himself a “good leader but a bad soldier.” He’s a jack of many trades, with hobbies ranging from music production to semi-pro game coaching. Parizeau has been working on starting Chico State’s table tennis club since last fall, and it kicked off this semester. He’s also the treasurer of the Go Club.
Parizeau transferred to Chico in 2024 from Palomar College. He’s pursuing a computer animation major with a double minor in Japanese and computer science. After graduation, he hopes to become a high school teacher.
Isaac Peña
Isaac Peña currently serves on three boards: The Associated Students Facility Committee (ASFC), the Campus Facilities Union and the Sustainability Fund.
“Not only is my experience my main thing, but I really aspire to be the Vice President of Facilities and Services because I know our campus can be better than this,” Peña said.
If elected, Peña said he’d strive to get as much one-on-one connection with students across the university so everyone’s concerns are heard. He plans to host office hours and bring the ideas back to meetings.
“Some people see it as just a school, a place to come and learn,” Peña said. “But the BMU is incredible, the WREC has a whole gym and a whole pool for free. There’s so much to do here.”
As a first-generation student, Peña also wants to spread awareness about the variety of resources on campus.
“I want other first-gen students to know it’s a welcoming environment, a safe place where they can flourish in their academic career,” Peña said.
He sees his previous experiences in facilities and service-related boards as his biggest strength, and he said he’s grown accustomed to pushing hard for students’ needs.
Peña is a pre-veterinary science student also pursuing minors in both biology and chemistry. He grew up in Tulare and transferred to Chico State from the College of the Sequoias. This semester, he is an officer of the Sheep Association and a member of the Inter-club Council in the College of Agriculture and the Rangeland Club. Peña aspires to work as a livestock veterinarian after graduation.
Bareera Sana
Bareera Sana wants to take a deeper look at the food options available around campus, focusing on affordability, variety and nutrition.
Sana has Type 1 Diabetes and she can experience sudden drops in blood sugar while exercising. This can lead to fainting, so she often needs to buy food from vending machines.
This made her consider how expensive the snacks are, as well as the general lack of high-protein and healthy options.
“We need more alternatives on campus that are affordable to students,” Sana said. “As an international student, I understand the value of money. In gas stations, food is half the price.”
Sana also wants to increase accessibility across campus. She’s hoping to eventually start a support group for students with diabetes.
“I want to facilitate as many conversations as possible with other people with hidden conditions, because I feel that struggle,” she said. “I really want more accessible resources.”
When Sana moved to the U.S. from Pakistan, she suddenly found herself in an unstable place. She wants to raise awareness around the mental health resources available, such as The Well and its counselling services.
“I use the massage chairs there all the time, and I know how good it is,” Sana said. “I want more people to use it because they’re paying for it.”
Sana is endorsed by Chico State Pride.
Sana is a master’s student studying nutrition science. She graduated from the University of Lahore in Pakistan, where she was president of the nutrition club. At Chico State, she’s currently the vice president of the nutrition club.
On Wednesday, every Chico State student will receive an email with a link to the ballot. The link will also be available here on its website. You will need to sign in with your Chico State login to access the ballot.
Anthony Vasek can be reached at [email protected]
