Maric
appointed as public defender despite
surprise opponent
By
Daniel Linck Savino
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
In a four-and-a-half hour session Wednesday, the Associated StudentsSenate filled
the final Academic Senate vacancy, appointed a public defender and debated several
pieces of legislation at length.
Andrea Maric, ASI's new public defender, won in an 8-7 vote that took a surprising
turn.
The original applicants also included Karen Chen and Neil Mathis.
However, after each of the three had been interviewed by the Senate, Senator-at-Large
Shauntel Smith nominated Frank Oliver.
Oliver, by his own admission, had only heard about the opening Wednesday morning.
He listed his time as president of the African Student Union, his work as an assistant
pastor and his associate's
degree in communication, with a public speaking emphasis, as his qualifications.
His presentation put him in tight competition with Maric, a criminal justice
major. Maric was involved in Youth In Government in high school, and has played
the role of a defender in the program's mock
trial. She has also had extensive experience researching case law while at Los
Angeles Harbor College.
The first round of voting between the four candidates saw Mathis with two votes
and Maric and Oliver tied with six votes. Shefali Mistry, College of Arts, however,
withheld her vote and cast hers for Oliver
at the end of voting.
Because of AS Bylaws, a candidate needs a majority vote to win. With a 7-6-2 split,
a minimum of eight votes are needed for a victory. Voting
was repeated after the nominations for Chen and Mathis were withdrawn.
In the second round of voting, senators Mike Emenhiser, College of Business, and
Juancarlos Mariano, College of Business, switched their
votes from Mathis to Maric, giving her a single vote lead.
The Senate also heard applications for the remaining Academic Senate student
representative, ultimately electing James Davis, with 12 votes. Lamya Al-Kharusi
received six votes and Karan Parikh had one.
Controversy surrounded earlier efforts to nominate students to the Academic Senate.
Three positions were originally open and two students
applied.
One of the two candidates, Sterling Harris, was vigorously opposed by several
senators, particularly Senator-at-Large Sandra Olmedo. His application, though,
was ultimately approved.
The third and final position had four applicants, three of whom were present for
Wednesday's hearing.
In an unusual turn of events, an argument arose just before the final vote. In
a brief pause between the hearing and the voting, Emenhiser tried to open debate
on the candidates. Several senators objected to the idea of talking about the
merits of the applicants. Among them were Kenneth Cooper ,College of Arts, and
Heidi Chavez, College of
Health and Human Services.
" I don't think it's appropriate to debate the merits of the candidates while
they're in attendance," Cooper said.
Chavez felt it was "unethical" to talk about the candidates.
"
I don't think any type of discussion should be had," she added.
Sen. Jessica Viera, College of Education, said because it was an election a yes
or no vote should be taken without debate on the candidates.
The floor vote to allow such debate was unsuccessful.
Al-Kharusi was the first to speak to the Senate. A third-year international studies
major, she said she wanted to bring a student voice to the faculty. When questioned
by Emenhiser as to her readiness
to stand in front of dozens of faculty, she said she felt more than capable of
doing so.
"
Ph.Ds don't scare me," she said.
Davis is a fifth-year aerospace engineering major. He is a member of the African
Student Union, the National Society of Black Engineers, and has participated
in Model U.N. He particularly emphasized his debate experience in the Model U.N.,
as well as his three years of work at Boeing, saying it made
him ready to deal with the Academic Senate.
Being around Boeing engineers who were very knowledgeable about their work, he
said, taught him how to "let them know that I have something to
offer also."
Parikh is a fourth-year engineering major, who said he was particularly interested
in speaking for the students.
Davis joins Harris and Tasharie Ameral as the student representatives on the Academic
Senate.
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