By Javier Cabrera / Editor in Chief

Pick me (Luis Solis / Staff Photographer)

By Javier Cabrera / Editor in Chief

As the spring semester rolls on at Riverside City College, students from Norco College, Moreno Valley College and RCC are heading to the polls to elect their next student trustee of the Riverside Community College District.

Noemi Jubaer and Keenan Johnson are the two candidates running for student trustee of the district this time and are the two looking to replace Nick Bygon, current student trustee of RCCD.

“I think they have a lot of enthusiasm for the position,” Bygon said.

Bygon said the two candidates have attended a student district consultation council meeting where they both were able to meet student leaders from each college, and where he was able to have discussions with both of them.

“I think they are both motivated individuals,” he said.

With the consistent conversations of class cuts and budget cut proposals popping up every week at RCC, the candidates lobbied to RCC students during a forum at the RCC Cafeteria on March 29.

“Ultimately I think RCC students want classes,” Johnson said. “That’s the biggest one.”

Jubaer said aside from more classes, students want lower textbook prices, lower food prices and better transportation.

“We are one district, but we should have a sort of transportation between the three colleges too, (so) students can come and go and attend all the classes that they need,” she said. “Because not (each) college offers the courses that we need, which are required for some students.”

As for the next student trustee coming into office, Bygon said the next one will have the challenge of not having a lot of experience to the position.

“I don’t really think that serves as their disadvantage in this respect,” he said. “It’s really about having the essential tools to be a leader that you can essentially perform in this position.”

Aside from the lack of experience, Bygon said the incoming student trustee will have a mentor helping him or her with everything they need to learn and each candidate will sit in on a Board of Trustees meeting prior to being elected.

Each candidate said communicating with the student presidents at each college and student leaders at all three colleges are some actions they will want to do once they are elected as student trustee.

“I think that there should be a strong communication and cooperation within that entire work force of students,” Johnson said.

Jubaer said she wants to act as a voice for the RCCD students.

“I want to present the ideas and views and encourage my fellow students to voice out their ideas,” she said. “I want that to happen because then I can go and present their views to the Board of Trustees, who will ultimately make the decision.”

Jubaer and Johnson said they will both continue using studenttrustee.com, a website Bygon created when he first became student trustee last spring.

The website’s purpose is to inform students from all three colleges on what is going on at the Board of Trustees meetings, news and updates by the student trustee.

“Social media (gets) the community more involved and up to date,” Johnson said.

The student trustee election took place April 4 and 5 at each college and the winner was yet to be announced at the time Viewpoints went to press.

RCCD students can find out who wins by liking Viewpoints’ Facebook fan page by searching “Riverside City College Viewpoints” or by following on Twitter @RCCViewpoints.

Update: Noemi Jubaer defeated Keenan Johnson, 363-266, in total votes from all three colleges.

No, pick me (Luis Solis / Staff Photographer)