Ann Peñalosa
From left, Arhaam Azhari, 20, computer science major and Kavi Kumaresan, 20, film and television major speak in support of Elevate candidates to a DASG senator at the election certification and complaints meeting on April 16.
The De Anza Student Government Senate unanimously voted to disqualify five candidates who won executive positions during the student election over elections code violations in the Student Council Chambers on Wednesday, April 16.
The decision followed a previous election certification and complaint meeting held on March 13 that the senate nullified because the administration committee violated the Brown Act. The DASG held an additional meeting to determine the election results and the future of the five students known as the Elevate coalition.
The Elevate coalition is a group of students who ran during the DASG student elections for executive positions within the student Senate.
Aroush Fatima, 18, DASG president-elect and computer science major
Lakshya Saini, 18, Chair of Events elect and computer science major
Kunishka Mundada, 18, student trustee elect and political science and psychology major
Varshi Patcha, 18, Chair of Administration elect and economics and psychology major
Shreyas Menon, 18, Inter Club Council Chair elect and computer science major
The meeting showcased evidence and testimonies regarding allegations of election misconduct against Elevate and whether or not the positions the coalition won would be certified.
Francesca Cacchione, 20, computer engineering major and one of seven complainants against Elevate, accused Fatima and Mundada of blocking a line of people from entering a Phi Beta Lambda club meeting on March 3.
“They (Elevate) were blocking the path,” Cacchione said. “They were physically blocking the people who were queuing to enter an official meeting.”
Menon claimed Cacchione’s allegation was false.
“I was the only Elevate member who was present near that place,” Menon said. “With me was only one of my other friends. We didn’t even touch the line.”
Further evidence from complainants against Elevate included a video that appeared to show Arhaam Azhari, 20, computer science major and Fatima’s brother, scrolling and clicking the screen of a student’s cell phone while campaigning.
Another photo showed Krishna Veni Sumesh, 20, business law major, campaigning on behalf of Elevate at the Valley Transportation Authority bus stops, considered to be off campus, which violates election code.
After discussion among senators, Elevate and complainants, Katia Bravo, 20, data science major and Chair of Student Rights and Equity, made the motion to disqualify Elevate and the senate unanimously voted in favor.
The runner-ups will take their place pending certification at the next DASG senate meeting.
Bravo said the senate will hopefully change election rules in the future to address issues like the ones present at that meeting.
“I think if this meeting said anything, it was that … (we should) urge senators to take whatever they’re saying into consideration,” Bravo said.
Bravo also went on to explain that members of the Elevate coalition are still able to run for internal positions and future executive position elections.
“Just because they’re disqualified in the executive running does not mean that they cannot run in internal elections, nor does it mean that they are disqualified in future elections,” Bravo said.
The DASG senate will hold its next meeting this Wednesday, April 23, at 4 p.m. in the Student Council Chambers. Senators will reconsider the coalition’s disqualifications “in light of senator concerns,” according to the business items on the agenda.
(Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to state that the next DASG senate meeting is on Wednesday, April 23.)