Students elect their 2016-17 representatives
Neema Sheshebor, A.S. director of budget and finance, left, Richard Real, A.S. director of student organizations, and Sharon Miller, director of student activities walk out of the A.S. office. Sheshebor, Real and the other members of the A.S. will finish their term at the end of this semester. Photo credit: Nikolas Samuels
April 20, 2016
The next Associated Students president for the 2016-17 academic year is 20-year-old Teresita Rios, political science major.
“I’m super excited and happy when I saw the result,” Rios said. “I’m ready to work. I’m going to do my best and I’ll honor my office to the best of my ability.”
She won with 544 votes against Lawrence Kelly, A.S. director of constitution and rules, and Javier Berjon de la Parra.
“I respect both of the two candidates who ran against me, but I have more respect toward Lawrence because we share similar views,” Rios said. “We both want the best things for our students.”
Twenty minutes before Rios saw the result on Facebook, she also learned that she just became an aunt for the first time as her older brother in Mexico welcomed a newborn baby into the family.
“Everything is happening so fast right now,” Rios said.
Patrick Nordstrom, chair of the A.S. elections committee, said It takes a lot of courage for winners to ask the student body to trust their leadership and congratulated them for it.
“I’ve had the privilege to meet all of the candidates and I think they’re all truly brilliant student leaders and this campus is better off for having them here,” said Nordstrom.
This year’s voter turnout is 1,703 which is 287 lower than last year’s turnout. Nordstrom explained that this could be because there was less person to person campaigning than last year’s, which could have affected the voter turnout.
Here’s the rest of the results:
Vice President: Vanessa Gerardo
Director of External Affairs: Azad Azani
Director of Campus Events: Thomas Moran
Director of Budget and Finance: Henry “Jack” Heeber
Director of Academic Affairs: Sydney Pugh
Director of Student Organizations: Mersedeh Kolyaei
Director of Constitution and Rules: Joshua Saffa
Director of Public Relations: Chelsea Salac
Director of Student Services: Joe Rizzi
Saffa and Azani both ran an uncontested election because there was no one else who ran against them.
“I’d also like to thank the 1,703 students that participated in these elections and encourage all of them to engage their newly elected student leaders in the coming semester,” said Nordstrom.
