ASLC elections ‘on hold’ until fall semester

Asking ‘why’ leads to obfuscation, further questions

ASLC elections will not be held this spring.
Instead of housing the ASLC elections, the second floor of the Student Center housed the Peralta student trustee elections on May 12 and 13.
Multiple sources confirm that “special elections” will be held in the fall 2015 semester.
Protocols for student elections are outlined in PCCD’s AP5410 and include requirements and guidelines that include specifications for a ten-week timeline, an elections committee, publicity and the elections process.
The elections code was not followed this spring.
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Dennise Eskridge (left) and Manu Sidhu (right), TRiO staff work the elections polling table.[/caption]ASLC Student Advocate Jon-Mychal Cox said in an email, “The Council decided to postpone the election until fall to create a better election. (Laney President) Dr. Webb and (TRiO Interim Director Roxanne) Rivas have helped guide us through this process.”
Until the special elections are held, the current officers will continue to hold “interim” positions.
When asked about the reason for the cancellation, Cox avoided the question.
“Certain important things should have happened,” he said, referring to the elections code.
Publicity officer Tinniae McConico wanted the elections to take place. “We tried to maintain the integrity of the election by proceeding even though we were behind schedule,” she said.
ASLC President Carl Oliver accepted partial blame. “I was overwhelmed,” he said. “I didn’t have enough people willing to form an elections committee. I also did not have enough support.”
Louie Martirez was appointed earlier this year to take over the role of staff advisor to the ASLC, after the previous advisor left.
Martirez had not met with Oliver regarding elections for at least one month leading up to the scheduled elections, confirmed by both Oliver and Martirez himself, over the phone.
Rivas was appointed on April 29 by Webb to take over the remainder of the elections process. But on May 12 and 13, she was overseeing only the student trustees election, not that of the ASLC.
Webb was also not available for comment.
According to Burt Dragin, long-time faculty member and chair of the Journalism Department, this is a unique situation.
“I don’t recall ever not having an ASLC election,” he said.
According to Oliver, the ASLC’s combined funds for which they are responsible totals to roughly $400,000.
Several ASLC representatives elected last spring resigned over the course of the year.
Rey Lopez, first president of the APIU (a club on campus) and former ASLC representative who resigned last semester, spoke broadly of a tension that exists between the ASLC and district administration. He spoke of a need for shared governance.
McConico doesn’t see this as any one person’s fault. “It was just a collective fart,” she said. “We just didn’t get started in time.”
Cox weighed in as well. “Most people are pointing fingers and dividing our sacred community,” he said.
At their final meeting of the semester, the ASLC will be electing and confirming those holding interim positions until the special elections are held.
“It should be the dopest election ever,” said Oliver. “We need real banners this time, real publicity.”
ASLC meetings are held 12–1 Thursdays in the student center and are open to the public.