Students who want their voices heard on campus issues will be given a chance by electing ASGCC officials to represent them on Tuesday and Wednesday at noon in Plaza Vaquero.
The yearlong terms up for vote are President and Vice President of Finance. Tade Hartoonian and Dan Wengert are the presidential candidates and Danielle Foster and Rebeka Hovanessian are running for the vice president position.
Positions elected for the fall semester are vice presidents of Administration, Campus Activities, Campus Relations, and Campus Organizations; and senators of Administration, Finance, Campus Activities, Campus Relations and Campus Organizations. Those running for these positions are unopposed. The positions for Senator of Campus Activities is short by one candidate.
The ASGCC elections give students an opportunity to choose officials who will represent them and look out for their interests. ASGCC officers also make budgetary decisions that affect the campus at large.
A portion of the $10 AS fee that students pay goes towards the AS budget. In turn, this budget is allocated to 50 line items that the student legislature approves. One of the most expensive budget decisions made in recent years was the building of the J. W. Smith Student Center which was funded largely by profits from the bookstore, which is student owned.
Election Commissioner Suzie Acevedo and Student at Large Georges Mikhael will oversee the campaign and election process. Candidates will be presented to students and will be given a chance to state their platforms in a three-minute speech at the Plaza Vaquero on the first day of the election. Results will be posted at noon on May 3 at the J. W. Smith Student Center.
Mikhael said that all candidates are required to dispose of all their campaign promotions posted around the campus an hour before the election winners are declared.
“ASGCC makes important decisions, from managing the funds on campus to submitting proposals to the Board of Trustees,” said Mikhael. Students should take advantage of having a vote in the decision-making process, he added. Mikhael encourages everyone to participate in the voting process because student participation gives the ASGCC even more legitimacy when they say that they represent the student body. Last semester, Mikhael said that student voter turnout was only 3 percent.
The winners will be presented at the Honors and Awards Banquet at Castaways Restaurant in Burbank on May 24, as well as the AS Banquet on May 25, where the current ASGCC officers will officially pass on their posts to the newly elected officers. The new terms officially start on the last day of final exam.
The officers meet twice during summer to prepare for the coming semester, as well as attend a mandatory leadership retreat from Aug. 24 to 26.
The retreat will be led by Dean of Student Affairs Paul Schlossman and AS Faculty Adviser Dr. Joseph Puglia.