The Associated Student Government officially appointed a new executive board during its weekly meeting on Nov. 20.
The ASG senate approved the newly-appointed ASG President Monique Reyna’s selection for the executive board.
Among Reyna’s nominees who were approved are Edward James as the new legislative vice president; Sen. Michael Olague as the executive vice president and Sen. Victoria Mosby as the interim president pro-tempore.
LVP James acts as the manager within ASG and works with scheduling and committee assignments. James also serves as ASG’s SSCCC Region V Delegate.
“I wanted somebody that can take the friend aspect out of everything, and understand that this is a business,” said Reyna.
EVP Olague is now in charge of handling the ASG budget.
Interim PPT Mosby is the chair for the Inter-Club Council. Reyna did not explain why Mosby was appointed as an interim. Some have speculated she may just be looking to help out for the remainder of the semester or until the organization finds someone to fill the position permanently.
The three executive board positions became vacant because the people who held them resigned after the CCCSAA conference scandal in October.
Sen. Rosalinda Barba is ASG’s new secretary, taking a position previously held by President Reyna.
In another development, the senate accepted the resignation of Sen. Alex O’Casey yesterday. She is the seventh member of ASG to resign since the CCCSAA conference scandal last month.
It has been a rollercoaster semester for the ASG. It began with a controversial removal of a senator who made inflammatory statements on YouTube. Then came the mass exodus of ASG members including its president, LVP, EVP and PPT.
James Demaree, the ousted ASG senator had spoken out against now-former ASG President Nathan Alonzo. He drew attention with his outspoken criticism of the organization and its leadership.
“I am hereby stating that three people should either publically or individually apologize for their actions, or should resign,” Demaree said on YouTube.
Demaree didn’t know it then, but he would get his wish. However, the resignations would have nothing to do with Demaree’s accusations.
After a long process, Demaree was removed from the senate by his peers on Sept. 25.
At the time, Demaree said he was shocked by the verdict. “I am absolutely stunned that people that acted like they were my friends, or people that had said in previous meetings to give me a chance, voted to have me removed,” Demaree said.
Even ASG Faculty Adviser Sean Henderson described the removal process of Demaree as “clunky.”
FIRE, a Philadelphia-based group that fights for free speech rights in higher education, said about the Demaree case, “Hopefully, the Fresno City College students and the students they elected to the Associated Student Government will ultimately recognize the wisdom of protecting free speech, and the ASG will reinstate Demaree on appeal.”
Demaree filed an appeal which the ASG Constitution allows.
At yesterday’s ASG meeting, Adviser Henderson announced that the appeals committee has reached a decision regarding Demaree, but the results will not be announced until Demaree has been informed. Henderson said the results will be mailed to Demaree.
The issue of the potential removal processes that was brought up by Sen. Hayes on Nov. 13 is currently on hold pending the verdict of the Demaree appeal. Reyna said that the issue is currently closed until the appeals committee makes a decision, and pending an ongoing investigation from Dr. Chris Villa’s office.
That means that the spring semester could begin with additional removal processes of the accused members of ASG that haven’t resigned, if Sen. Hayes fulfills her declaration to seek their removal for their conduct at CCCSAA.
President Reyna, in the meantime, hopes for a fresh start next semester. “There is the whole thing of trying to mend or trying to reestablish ourselves with the students here on campus to let them know that we are serious and that we are here for them.”
