The voice of De Anza since 1967.

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The voice of De Anza since 1967.

La Voz News

The voice of De Anza since 1967.

La Voz News

    Students United executive ticket wins Senate election

    Despite a 10 percent vote deduction penalty, Students United candidates Marlo Custodio and Josh Chou were elected president and executive vice president of the 2009-2010 De Anza College Student Body Senate.

    Results were postponed one week due to complications over whether to penalize Students United candidates for violating election code. The Senate approved the vote reduction last Wednesday and posted the election results shortly afterward.

    “I’m thrilled to give back to all of the students that have continuously supported us from the beginning, and we will accomplish a lot,” said Chou. “We are aware of the many obstacles ahead of us, but it’s okay, we’re ready.”

    Custodio and Chuo won with 1,184 votes (originally 1,316). Student Connection candidates Jose Avila-Martin and April Hannah Seo received 831 votes.

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    “I wish them all the best,” said Terell Sterling, current Senate president. “I hope they continue to serve the students and defend democracy.”

    The election committee’s decision to deduct 10 percent from eight Students United candidates was due to a code violation on the coalition’s Facebook group. The committee voted to penalize the administrators of the group.

    The Senate’s decision was met with criticism from Students United candidates. Coalition members and supporters criticized the Senate as undemocratic, while a few stormed out of the Senate’s Wednesday meeting.

    “I’m really disappointed in some of you,” Students United vice presidential candiate Keith Joseph Hubbard said to the Senate after hearing of their decision “Just to make it short and sweet, I will be glad to see some of you leave.”

    Of the seven remaining vice president positions, five Students United candidates were elected: Mo Shirazi, Jonathan Mai, John Yan, Shane Mason and Keith Joseph Hubbard. Student Connection candidate Sharon Su was elected vice president of budget and finance, while independent candidate Amir Pourshafiee was elected vice president of student services.

    Of the eight candidates whose votes were deducted, only Jorj Cheko, candidate for vice president of student services, was negatively affected by the penalty.

    Cheko originally received 736 votes. However, after the vote deduction, he had only 662 votes to opponent Pourshafiee’s 709.

    “Even though the 10 percent was a really reprehensible act on the Senate itself, I’m happy with the results,” said Cheko, a current senator.

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