Student government president, vice president replacements selected

Nine remaining members of the executive board of student government at Citrus College have chosen a new president and a temporary vice president to finish out the final four weeks of the fall 2011 semester. 

 

Following a secret ballot cast by the board members on Nov. 5, former commissioner of public relations Michelle Mockler was named president of the Associated Students of Citrus College. She will serve the student body in that capacity until June 2012. 

 

Senator Walter Galvez was appointed as vice president during the Nov. 22 ASCC executive board meeting.

 

He will serve the remaining four weeks of the fall 2011 semester and is on the Nov. 30 ballot as a candidate for vice president for the spring 2012 semester. 

 

"As for the remainder of the fall semester, our responsibility is to act on behalf of the best interest of the students," Mockler said. "My first and foremost responsibility has been and always will be the students of Citrus College."

 

A total of nine ballots were cast by four senators, three commissioners, one secretary and one legislative liaison. 

 

Galvez said that he is focused on two issues: "support for Michelle and getting everything ready for next semester."

 

Mockler is taking over after former ASCC president Donald Linneman, former vice president Megan Bruins and former senator Athanasios Kloutsiniotis were removed from the board after violating the student conduct code while at a college-funded event in October. 

 

In the ASCC constitution, the rules of succession state that if the president is not able to fulfill his or her duties, the position is to be filled by the vice president, and in the event that the vice president cannot fill the position, the new president will be decided by the executive board members in a secret ballot. 

 

The other two board members who were contenders for the president's seat were Brian Martinez, ASCC treasurer, and Olivia Wagner, ASCC secretary. 

 

At this point Wagner said she is assisting Mockler in acclimating to her new position "as much as I can, just as everyone else is."

 

Martinez also expressed his support.

 

"Our president has to be willing to accept the help," Martinez said. "I hope Michelle will reach out for help. I will stand behind her."

 

In spite of having to cancel two board meetings after the former leadership was removed, the remaining officers kept their focus on the tasks at hand, Wagner said.

 

"Regardless of what was happening, we as an organization still maintained focus on important things such as the volunteer corps, media committee, Food and Toy Drive and, most importantly, our students whom we advocate for," she said. 

 

Maintaining their focus on the students means not letting "the actions of individuals hamper us," Martinez said. 

 

"ASCC will continue to work together to advance our campus, allowing our students to achieve academic

success," Mockler said. 

 

Elections for ASCC officers for the spring 2012 semester are scheduled for Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 outside the Campus Center from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and inside the Campus Center from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students with a school ID or California identification have the opportunity to vote for vice president, student trustee elect and senators.