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By Nita Gandhi / News Editor
Having their say- Student Jamie Salvetti, left, makes her vote count as she takes part in the Student Government elections which took place May 11-12 in front of the Martin Luther King Learning and Resource Center. (Lauren Garcia / Photo Editor)
By Nita Gandhi / News Editor
Students voted on May 11 and 12 for student president, vice president and senate to represent their interests and issues that affect the student body.
On May 6 the Student Supreme Court held a forum where the candidates made opening and closing statements on why the student body should vote for them.
Two candidates are running on the same ticket to be Riverside City College’s student president and vice president.
Italia Garcia is running for president in this year’s election.
She is a political science major who has been at RCC for two years.
Garcia explained why she is running and why students should vote for her to be their student president.
“I’m running because the year that I have been in student government, the involvement that I have had, I have seen a lot of issues addressed,” Garcia said.
“Not just budget cuts and class cuts, but really students are not being represented at the local level and the state level, they are having a hard time getting their educations,” she said.
Also running for the position of vice president is Rikki Hix.
She is a math and geology major and plans on transferring to either the University of Southern California or Stanford University.
After her education she plans to teach at the community college level and continue with research.
“I’m running because I know that students can make a difference,” Hix said.”
“I know that if we come together we can make a difference,” Hix said.
“We have been going to the Board meetings, the college sub-committee meetings and we know if we have a voice there we can make a difference,” she said.
Hix also explained her qualifications and why students should vote for her.
“I am dedicated, I’m committed, and I am already active. I am the legislative chair here for the senate,” Hix said. “I can make a difference and I will not back down.”
There are 21 students running for the student senate.
They too had the opportunity to explain why they are the right persons for the job.
One senator represents 500 students on the RCC campus.
According to Israel Landa, the current ASRCC president, students can vote for a candidate for senator or opt out if they choose.
Before now, the candidates had to get signatures in order to run for office. For president and vice president, they had to gather 100 signatures or more. Senators had to gather 50 or more.
Hix said that the Board and sub-committee need students to participate because when students vote and participate in the decisions that affect them on campus there will not be budget or class cuts.
“If we gather together and use the 2.9 million California community college students, prices would probably go down,” she said.
Landa said that this year student government is utilizing paper ballots instead of electronic voting because it is personal and more people vote when there are paper votes instead of electronic.
Once all the votes are verified the results will be released to the student body.
Results are expected by May 14.
Speaking Out- Italia Garcia informed students on what she would accomplish as president of the ASRCC. (Lauren Garcia / Photo Editor)
