by Vivian Luu
Editor-in-Chief
Janelle Kohnert
Copy Editor / Distribution Manager

SCC students recently participated in the election to pass a new Student Body Association (SBA) constitution. In spite of the fact that 417 students voted, there wasn’t enough participation to validate the election results.

During the election, 395 students voted for the adoption of a new constitution, and 18 students voted against it. Under Article 19, Section 1 of the new constitution, at least 7 percent (currently 464 individuals) of the student body must vote in order to approve new SBA legislature.

“The article was put into place to preserve integrity,” said SBA advisor Jamie Ardena. For this election, SCC came close, receiving 6.3 percent of the student body’s input. “We tried and in my estimation we didn’t make it,” said Ardena. “I don’t want us to compromise the (SBA’s) goals in order to make it.”

After the election results were finalized, the SBA held a meeting to decide whether or not to adopt the new constitution. They agreed to start preparing for a re-election on the new constitution, since the new constitution would take effect on July 1 when a new student government enters office.

Members of the SBA are now concerned about how the election results are representing the student body.

“I don’t think (the election) is representative that we only have one day of voting,” said Senator of Public Relations Johanna Martinez. “Not everyone is on campus.”

Not being able to adopt a new constitution and move forward with its plans also proved to be disenchanting to the Student Government. “The way it is now, we are absolutely inefficient,” said Student Advocate Jerimiah Rice. “We are not in a position to give the students what they want.”

SBA Legistlative Director Bryan Hill added, “I feel we’re not going anywhere, and we’re holding ourselves back.”

Leaving the past behind them, the student government now plans to hold a reelection and try to get more votes. “I would totally be down with having another special election in the Spring,” said SBA President Ivanhoe.

Ardena believes that a re-election will be more effective. The election itself was highly successful, given that in the past, fewer students have voted. With the opening of the PUB and expansion of the voting period to two days, it is likely that more students will know about the election and get involved in determining campus policies that will affect them in the future.