By Scott Landheer
City Times
Clemente Valdez became the next Associated Student Government president, beating his closest competitor, Denise Haughton, 276 to 66 after all the votes from the May 15-17 election were counted.
In a very close vote, an initiative to ban smoking on campus passed by a vote of 230-215.
Valdez, who has served as ASG media representative, will be sworn in next month to begin his term.
He said his top priority is to get the Student Center fee passed next semester. The measure was up for a vote this semester, but not enough students voted in the election to make it valid, despite the fact that two-thirds who did vote supported it.
To get more students out to the polls when the fee comes up for another vote, Valdez will ask professors to bring their classes to vote. He said he also wants to make the election go for five days, instead of three.
Flyers that were handed out in support of Valdez during the elections also asked voters to write-in Albert Li for vice president. Li went on to win the election with a total of 154 votes.
City College will not immediately become smoke-free. The ban will first go through a phase where certain areas will be designated as smoking. After that, the campus will become completely smoke-free and smoking cessation programs will be developed to help students quit.
The offices filled were -Maria Jackson, secretary; Francisco Lopez, treasurer; Angie Gomez, public events coordinator; Casedra Owens, public relations officer; Allan Souza, webmaster; Ryan Ballard, senator; Wilmer Fuentes, senator; Albert Li, senator; Josef Shannon, senator.
