Four students resign from AS for other duties

By Jeremy Herb

Three Associated Students senators and the senate pro tempore have resigned since school began, leaving the senate with only four elected members.

Two of the three senators who left were elected. Now, 14 of the 18 senators currently serving in AS did not participate in the election process, as they were appointed instead.

The four vacant seats are replaced through an appointment process, led by Anton Zanotto, senate chair. Nominees will be voted on at the Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 senate meetings, and must be approved by the Senate with a two-thirds majority.

Sophomore Senators Scarlette McKenzie and Crystalyn Hoffman and Junior Senator Marcella Reynolds, along with Senate Pro Tempore Jeana Williams all left AS for personal reasons, according to Zanotto. The senate pro tempore would replace the senate chair in the event of resignation or removal.

Reynolds, who was appointed in the spring, said she found out about the elections too late to run. Reynolds said she resigned because she "took on way too many things this quarter."

Reynolds, a dance major, currently has rehearsals for five dances, and is also a desk receptionist in Nobili Hall.

McKenzie said she resigned because she couldn't make the time commitment and still be involved with other clubs, such as Santa Clara Community Action Program and the Green Club.

"I'm really happy I did AS my freshman year," McKenzie said. "Now I have knowledge, and I can apply that knowledge to other organizations that I'm very committed to."

While both Reynolds and Hoffman said they had confidence in whomever was appointed to replace them, McKenzie said she was "a little worried" about makeup of the AS Executive Board, which was appointed by AS President Jenny Moody, Vice President Julia Niles and Zanotto.

"Almost every member within it is a small tight-knit community, that doesn't necessarily represent the whole community," McKenzie said.

Of the seven members on the Executive Board, six had previous AS experience. The lone exception was Financial Vice President Brian Kelly.

Niles said that those most new to AS don't want to take on too much responsibility.

"To ask students who never have taken on a small responsibility to take on a what's basically a full time job is a challenge not all are willing to take," Niles said.

On Tuesday, Zanotto, along with an election committee, chose sophomores Catherine Hurley and Megan Incorvaia for the senate openings, and Alexander Sweidan as the senate tempore. The deadline to apply for the junior position is today at 5 p.m.

There are 26 total senate seats; eight are currently empty. After the upcoming appointments, the other five seats will be filled by elected freshmen in the Oct. 19 election.

Moody, Niles and Zanotto made appointments to fill eight open class senator positions following spring elections, as well as appointing the Executive Board, class chairs and class justices.

In addition to appointing the remaining class senate positions, Zanotto also appointed five at-large senators, filling new positions which he created to represent areas of the student body, such as commuter students, who might be underrepresented.

Niles said the reason so few candidates ran for office was that the mandatory information sessions weren't publicly announced.

"There were 10 of us at the night when Jenny and I were there," Niles said of the info sessions. "Even some AS members didn't know about the mandatory info nights."

Niles emphasized that candidates shouldn't be using the appointment process to circumvent running for elections.

"If that's the case, that people are going around (elections), that's not right," Niles said.

There are also openings on three AS committees that can be filled by any student who volunteers: parking, rechartering and dining services.

Niles said she couldn't understand why she couldn't even fill the dining services committee, which provides feedback to Bon Appetit.

"Everyone complains about food, but no one wants to talk to people who can do something about it," Niles said.

Sophomore Senator Peter Lo was elected in the spring, but he said he was "disgusted" that there were no real senate races.

"I ran an anti-Peter Lo campaign," Lo said. "I'm not compelled to act in the student's interests."

Lo said there needs to be a better line of communication between students and representatives in order to get more people involved. Lo plans to issue complaint slips in the residence halls that students can fill out with their concerns about anything on campus.

"I'm fine when people get angry if it gets people involved," Lo said.

Contact Jeremy Herb at (408) 554-4546 or jmherb@scu.edu.

Correction: The story incorrectly stated the name of the sophomore senator quoted. It is Scarlette McKenzie.