Disqualified senate presidential candidate Monica Pen appeared before the DASB senate last Wednesday to appeal her disqualification.

The discussion was centered around whether or not Pen had been campaigning too close to the voting booths three weeks ago, during the election which is grounds for disqualification.

Pen led rival candidate Robin Claassen by 26 votes. However, with Pen later disqualified, Claassen and his running mate Rahela Sami won the presidency by default.

The De Anza Associated Student Body Senate meeting last Wednesday focused on the violations that disqualified Pen.

The violation in question was campaigning within 50 feet of the polling area with a lanyard which included “Monica and Nelson” and their poll number.

Inter-Club Council Chair of Programs Levi Rosenthal said that Pen was eight feet outside of the 50 foot mark. Pen also said that she had to walk to class and walking through the voting area was necessary.

“The whole area was off-limits to campaign,” President-elect Claassen said.

When asked if she came in contact with students, Pen said she didn’t remember. When further asked if she was within 50 feet of the polling site on Thursday, May 17, Pen said no.

After over an hour of discussion of Pen’s location during voting hours, and if her lanyard constituted as campaigning, her appeal was rejected.

“I still feel that the decision was not based on sufficient evidence,” said Pen after the meet- ing.

“There were a lot more things that we discovered. They were claiming that I was within 50 feet. Turned out it was 58 feet. That clearly did not violate the rule.” On what she will do now, Pen said, “I will find another way to make a difference. I still want to work with the students.”

President-elect Claassen has recently been criticized by former Executive Vice President James Newburg. In a letter to La Voz Weekly, Newburg said that Claassen “misled the entire senate to get his changes passed,” referring to major revisions to the senate by-laws.

In response, Claassen said “being involved with the DASB this year and being accepted has been a redemption for me … although I prevented anything bad from happening three years ago, I still feel ashamed.

“It was a learning experience for me. I became so concerned with a specific issue, that issue being approved became more important than the integrity of the democratic process by which the issue was decided.”

With the senate’s decision, Claassen and Sami will be officially begin their terms as president and executive vice president, respectively, this Wednesday.