by Chester Tadeja
Editorial Director
Heidi Rudin and Cenia Camacho were elected as new Forum members while Tracey Landisi became the New Student Freshman Representative. Bonnie Chuen was also elected as the New Student Transfer Representative in last week’s four-day Associated Student Federation elections, which generated a total of 214 votes cast.
The elections failed to produce a third Forum member.
“I think that the addition of the new Forum members is great because now it’s that next step to completing the entire organization,” said ASF President Christopher Braunstein. “Right now we’re still one member short. I think to really work as an effective team, you have to be a complete team. I think that this election really helped us to take a step in that direction.”
Rudin and Camacho drew 171 and 155 votes, respectively, while Landisi won with a 54-vote count. Chuen, who was the only candidate running for her position, won the majority of the votes, drawing 165 votes.
Other candidates who ran for New Student Freshman Representative position include Alma Barrera, Kelly Burns, Kerry Mountjoy, Maisha Smith and Sergio Valazquez.
The votes indicated that Barrera received 37 votes; Burns, 35 votes; Mountjoy, 30 votes; Smith, 20 votes and Valazquez, 28 votes.
Braunstein, who was present during the elections, said that he was pleased with the overall results and was content that a lot of the new members represented a younger generation.
“I really like this new Forum because its made up of a lot of new members,” said Braunstein. “There are younger members than before and I think with that there are going to come fresher ideas because they really haven’t been here to see the same things over and over again.
“The Forum in general is really going to do the job they’re here to do which is to represent the school. All I can expect from them is to do their very best because you really can’t expect more than that. I can’t expect from them anymore than what I can expect from myself.”
One of Braunstein’s goals this year is to make more students who are not directly affiliated with the Forum get involved with the school and its programs.
Braunstein is confident that he can work with the newly elected Forum members. Braunstein, who met with his new officers this week, has received a general consensus regarding the direction of ASF.
“I think that if all goes well, and if the elections themselves were any indication, then I think ASF will get itself back on track,” said Braunstein. “I think ASF lost its direction last year and it needs that focus. I’ve expressed this to the new members and they feel the same way.”
Braunstein felt the overall elections were fair and objective.
“I think it was a fair election, very fair,” he said. “The elections were so close that it shows in the results. Some people were separated from two or three votes.
“I think the new members are truly enjoying having their positions. I think that the more the Forum enjoys what they’re doing, the more successful the Forum is going to be.”
Braunstein suspects that another election will soon take place to fill the remaining Forum member position.
“Oh, we’re definitely going to fill that position,” he said. “It is not going to remain open. We’re going to have a special election and we’ll be taking applications soon for the position. It would be ridiculous to have an all-school election for this one position.”
