By Jessica Denilofs / Staff Writer
Decisions, decisions (Dorothea Samuel / Staff Photographer)
By Jessica Denilofs / Staff Writer
Following the resignation of Riverside Community College District student trustee Brianna Duru, a special election was held Nov. 16 and 17 to find her replacement.
The trustee represents students at all three RCCD campuses.
The trustee’s job is to bring about change to the student body by submitting student questions and concerns to the Board of Trustees.
Candidates who ran for the position were Josue Landa from the Riverside campus and Stephen Bishop from the Moreno Valley campus.
Around 300 students voted in the election, and Bishop was voted the victor with a score of 196 to 89 votes.
“I feel very excited about winning the election,” Bishop said. “I am grateful for all of the support from my friends and fellow student leaders.”
“I’m glad I was just able to run, I saw a rare opportunity arise so I took it,” Landa said.
Landa said he won’t be running again.
“Stephen seems very cooperative and willing to work with the people, which is great and is what we need,” Landa said.
Kyle Knowlton, RCC Student, voiced his concern over the lack of campaigning.”I didn’t even know there was an election, I’d probably have voted if I’d known and if there was more of a campaign,” said Knowlton.
Amanda Know, RCC Student, agreed that there was a lack of information supplied to students.
“I saw a sign for the election, but I didn’t know who was running, or really what a student trustee did, so I didn’t vote,” Know said.
It was decided to have the election as soon as possible so there would be representation for the students.
But because the election was so rushed some students felt there wasn’t enough of a campaign for the candidates, so they didn’t know who to vote for. However, YouTube videos were posted for the candidates.
Israel Landa, ASRCC president, commented on the voting turn out.
“You’re never going to be able to get everyone to vote, you can try and try, but it won’t happen. People don’t realize how much power they have,” Landa said.
Bishop has been acknowledged by the board as the new Student Trustee, but he won’t be sworn in until spring 2010.
“The RCCD Board of Trustees places a high value on student input. I am truly honored to serve my fellow students in this manner as their representative on the board,” Bishop said.
Bishop was the Moreno Valley Student Commencement Speaker and served as a Moreno Valley campus Senator, specifically as the Legislative Committee Chairman.
He was also the vice president of the Associated Students of Moreno Valley.
As the vice president, Bishop served on the RCCD Board of Trustees’ Shared Governance Committee.
“These positions gave me the experience in both campus and district levels of student government that I need,” Bishop said.
Francisco Porras, ASRCC Vice President, also commented on the two individuals who ran for Student Trustee this fall.
“Stephen is willing to listen, and to be at the forefront of everything,” Landa said.
“We had two really good candidates. I’ve been working with both of them, so I knew that either would make a good Student Trustee,” Porras said.
Bishop said his first point of action will be to meet with the student government during the winter session.
“This will serve as both training to new student leaders and as a transition meeting for me and the District Executive Board,” Bishop said.
