AS Elections Challenged for Votes: New Staff Appointed

Mary Freeman, Managing Editor 

Mary_Freeman@csumb.edu

Laura Newell, Editor-in-Chief

Laura_Newell@csumb.edu

May 8, 2008

As opposed to last year’s CSU Monterey

Bay’s (CSUMB) Associated Students

(AS) elections, this year’s elections lacked

controversy and voters.

Several members of AS purported that

issues of time and a lack of advertising

were to blame for the low voter turnout.

On the flipside, AS President Robert

Graham claimed, “on other campuses

they are lucky to get five percent.”

Talk of a possible boycott of the

elections might have been the cause as

well. Students were reportedly upset about

the deadlines to apply for positions and

the timing of the elections themselves.

Incoming Public Relations Director

Randy Rigali stated, “I did come across

a few people that were upset about the

deadlines, and later added, “I felt that the

whole AS elections was a little rushed as

far as the voting process and the amount

of time given to the students.”

The rushed process was due to the fact,

according to Graham, that when people

returned from Spring Break it was already

time for elections and, “it made it hard

for a lot of officers to get the applications

out.” Weirwick echoed the president’s

feelings and said that the elections were

disorganized and had little to no support

from student involvement.

Regardless of the low voter turnout,

according to Weirwick people will always

turn out to vote for their friends.

“The culture of student voting in general

isn’t really geared towards ‘what are you

going to do?’ it’s geared towards ‘do I

know you?’” said Weirwick.

Graham was enthused with the student’s

choice for his replacement and stated, “he

 [Hall] really understands the people on

campus,” but Graham also wanted to

mention that he did not vote for either

candidate because he believed in both.

“I want to keep the level of commitment

to our students, that’s what I was voted to

do. I would feel bad if people voted me

in and I didn’t do my job… I am the guy

that needs to be the voice. Be the bridge

between students to faculty,” said Hall

about his upcoming position.

Training for the new members will be

taking place over the summer at the AS

transition retreat. Hall plans to improve

AS’s communication, stating that last

year it was not as strong. Rigali has high

hopes for the new team stating that he

feels they will be “more organized and

prepared.” When asked what his next

plan of action was he said, “That’s a good

question… to be continued.”

An inauguration ceremony, date and

place to be announced, will be welcoming

new President Lewis Hall, Vice President

Nick McGill, Financial Director Kyle

Millerick, Public Relations Director

Randy Rigali, Events Workgroup Chair

Eliseo Diaz, Otter Student Union Chair

Kyle Haggmark, Residential Housing

Senator Margaert Tom, Environmental

Senator Jennifer Kirkendall, Multicutlural

Senator Jesus Lopez, Technology Senator

Joshua Reed-Doyle, and Senator at Large

Aaron Orsini. Legislative Director,

Lower Division Academic Senator,

Upper Division Academic Senator, Upper

Division On-Campus Housing Senator,

and two remaining Senator at Large

positions remain open.