New
senator-at-large debated
By Todd Leland
On-line Forty-Niner
In
response to the senator-at-large election
held last week the Pacific Islanders Student
Association and other cultural committees
and clubs have started a petition in support
of the runner-up.
Representatives
of the PISA stood in front of the Senate
Wednesday and told the board that they felt
Alejandro Negrete is more qualified to hold
the Senate position than the elected Brian
Roberts.
“We’re
here to show our support for Alejandro,”
Ben Mendez, a student member of La Raza,
said. “He is out there everyday doing stuff,
he’s on the board of the Latino Student
Union, a member of LA Raza and because of
his many connections in the cultural community
has the inside track on many of the issues
facing the students.”
In
response to the comments made by the PISA
representatives, Sen. Jorge Reyes voiced
concern about the pending petition and the
cultural constituents concern that they
do not have the most qualified individual
representing their interests.
Associated
Students Inc. President Danny Vivian responded
to the situation with comments in his weekly
report to the Senate.
“They
[the cultural community] have concerns,”
Vivian said. “They were also uncomfortable
that the senate had no direct response to
them about their comments.”
In
regard to the petition process ,Vivian said
he would be perusing the by-laws and suggested
that the senators do the same.
The
conflict came about as a result of last
week’s election of Brian Roberts as senator-at-large
representing the campus cultural community.
Roberts was elected to the position in a
runoff vote between him and Negrete that
was settled by tie-break due to the fact
the senators voted to a 8-8 logjam.
In
the event of a split vote, Senate Chair
Shahrokh Sheik saves his vote to eliminate
the possibility of a tie.
“The
process is standard,” Vivian said. “The
senate chair can vote but does not, like
last year when I was senate chair I chose
to facilitate and not dictate. Only in Sheik
placed his vote for Roberts and not Negrete.
“It
was a tough decision,” Sheik said. “But
that is what this position is all about.”
Sheik
said the decision weighed upon him but in
the end he said he felt Roberts’ enthusiasm
and the professionalism Roberts displayed
during his presentation and speech swayed
his vote.
Roberts
himself appeared to be under control in
his first Senate meeting. Making his weekly
report to the senate he displayed knowledge
of cultural activities and a willingness
to reach out to the clubs and committees.
“I
was elected and I don’t think an official
can be removed in this way,” Roberts commented.
“I need to get in touch with these groups,
we need to talk and I need to show them
I am capable of doing this job.”
The
Beach Pride Day initiative has been placed
with the Public Affairs Commission and will
be up and running bimonthly next semester,
said A.S.I. administrator Gina Garcia. Garcia
also made the Senate aware of a Halloween
party being held in the Nugget on Halloween
with a best costume contest that will send
the grand prizewinner on a weekend vacation
to Las Vegas.
Also
scheduled next week will be a political
debate on Monday at 2 p.m. in the University
Small Auditorium between the candidates
for the 46th district congressional seat.
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