Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Students Petition to Recall Election
GRAPHIC BY ALEXANDER MOLLOY
Three weeks after Associated Student Government elections, the results remain a contested issue with students on campus.
Students are contesting recent ASG election Matthew Rupel
The Santa Clara For the first time in the recent history of Associated Student Government, a recall vote of the newly elected president and vice president has been proposed. If the recall passes, the candidacy of Jenna Saso and Matt MacDonald will be nullified, and a re-election will be necessary. The recall petition was submitted at last week’s Senate meeting by a group of students who felt that the election process was handled unfairly. The elections saw a surge of interested after the highly controversial disqualification of Robert Leupp and Alex Sola-Guinto for three violations to the election code. Senior Jim Sullivan, a spokesperson for the group, insisted that the recall was not about any particular candidate. “It’s a petition to say that there should be a new election that’s a fair election to all the candidates,” he said. “If all the candidates were part of an unfair election, that’s not fair to anyone.” The recall petition required a total of 200 signatures, which sophomore Katie Wendland, the student who submitted the petition at last Thursdays Senate meeting, said took a few hours. Lindsay Gray, the head
One free copy of the election committee, explained that at least five students reported violations during the gathering of the signatures, including a report of dorm-storming to collect signatures. If the recall passes, a new election for the president and vice president will occur. Since the recall is unprecedented, there is no structure in place for a new election. Proposed additions to the recall protocol in the bylaws will be discussed at today’s senate. One proposed addendum include requiring a super majority of more than two-thirds the original votes cast, or 1,083 votes, to pass the recall. Other additions include leaving the new election to be structured by the current election committee and the stipulation that five violations by the student body will nullify the recall. According to the proposal, these could include violations of university policy, defamation of those involved in the recall or its process, or any information used to mislead the student body about the recall. If the recall vote passes, a new election will have to happen that’s open to all candidates with the necessary signatures. ASG is already behind on their transition schedule for next year’s government. Normally, the president-elect begins to work with the standing president immediately after the election during week five. If the recall passes, the soonest that transition could start would be week nine. Contact Matthew Rupel at mrupel@ scu.edu or call (408) 554-4849.
Direct Transportation Goes to Bay to Breakers Direct train travels to San Francisco for easy access to race Joseph Forte
The Santa Clara This Sunday, Santa Clara students will board the 5:30 a.m. northbound express train at the Santa Clara station, ready for the highly anticipated 101st Annual Bay to Breakers race and eccentrically clad in their most colorful costumes. This Bay Area tradition has given rise to countless tales of fun, mischief and inebriation for generations of students. The Bay to Breakers race, sponsored by e-commerce firm Zazzle, is set to begin at 7 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Howard Street and Beale Street, near the Embarcadero in San Francisco. The historic 12K race has already been marked on the calendars of several Santa Clara students who eagerly
anticipate it. Senior Oliver Glenn, planning his second visit to the race, said, “I’m excited to have some fun with my friends before I graduate. Being a senior is kind of depressing.” Santa Clara students will not be the only college students attending Bay to Breakers. The race, which attracts thousands of young people from around the Bay Area, is almost certain to see attendance from many of the area’s colleges. For many Bay Area students, the party-like atmosphere, crazy costumes, public nudity and wild antics that the race evokes every year have become a collegiate tradition. Mission College student Matt Dimanlig, who will make his third journey to the race this year, said that he plans to attend “for the atmosphere. Everyone’s really happy. For that many people being there and being drunk, I never saw one fight.” TSC ARCHIVE
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Every year hundreds of Santa Clara students pack CalTrains to travel to Bay to Breakers, a 12K race that draws thousands of people to San Francisco. Unlike last year, trains will leave from the Santa Clara CalTrain station and travel to the event early Sunday.
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