CORRECTION: A new version stands now to reflect minor changes that are in our recent print edition.
In the aftermath of last week’s ASB election, some candidates voiced their concerns during the campaigning process, with one candidate alleging that she didn’t get to promote herself on her social media because of an ASB mishap, while the current ASB president and Student Trustee had tension.
Angeline Anderson, one of the candidates running for Student Trustee, expressed that she did not have the opportunity to promote herself online and post her flyers because they were never sent back to her with the stamp of approval after she submitted them to the ASB committee over email.
As mentioned by the ASB advisor Kim Hamon, all campaign material that is posted to social media must first be approved by the ASB committee.
Anderson expressed that she reached out two times through email in a thread that included both dean of student affairs Deborah Miller-Calvert and director of student life and conduct Sylvia Garcia, to ask for her digital flyers to be approved.
During this time, someone had also put up unapproved posters on campus promoting Anderson, so Garcia reached out, between these messages to address this.
Anderson said she is still unaware of who put up the posters.
“I asked for, I think, like the digital copy and I pretty much just said like ‘hey, the flyers don’t have the ASB stamp on them. Can I get that?’ And that after that nothing really and then I got an email from Sylvia(Garcia) again, saying that somebody was posting up flyers and the email showed and she sent in my email, which flyers were approved and I was like, well, they don’t have the watermark on it, can I get, I guess can I get them with the watermark? And she sent my flyers in the email again and they still didn’t have the watermark on it,” Anderson said.
She continued, “So I kind of just felt frustrated and gave up after that.”
Garcia responded when asked to comment on the situation, “Okay, that is a conversation that I would have with Angie if she had questions on that. I don’t, I can’t share information that I, discussions that I have with other students.”
On Wednesday, the Viking News received a series of text messages from the current ASB president Priince Bass alleging that the current student Trustee Pise Leiataua was campaigning at the board of trustees meeting that day, which he claimed is generally frowned upon in that setting.
Both candidates are rerunning for their respective positions.
“It was right after that American justice, criminal justice club went up to take a picture with them after they received their award and designation from the board of trustees,” Bass said.
Bass continued, “They went up there to take pictures with everybody and after everybody took their pictures Pise stayed back to talk to the head of the organization and the president of the ACJA club, right. She went to her desk and she grabbed her flyers off of her desk, went back down and campaigned and said ‘hey, I support ya’ll, I like ya’ll, can ya’ll support me.’ She gave a stack of flyers to them, you’ll be able (to)…see this on camera,” Bass said.
Leiataua responded and claimed that she had approval to do so beforehand.
“So after their recognition, basically I was talking to Stephanie because she was just elected to be the new ICC president, and they basically was giving her her flowers and her and the other ICC rep was basically talking to me about the elections and about how they wish me luck in the elections and stuff like that and that like they all support me and in what way can they support me? So I basically asked them, I was like ‘do you want a flyer,’ and then she was like ‘yeah, give me a flyer and I’ll share it with my team right now,” Leiataua said.
Leiataua continued that there were no specific rules in the ASB elections that prevented her from campaigning at the board of trustees meeting.
“As long as the flyer has the stamp, then you’re ok. Cuz even before I had those flyers on my back, even before I did that, I asked for permission. Like, am I able to share this?.. I’m not posting this, like, on the walls or anything. Like these are just extras that I have in case students are asking for it,” Leiataua said.
The ASB advisor, dean of student affairs, and director of student life and conduct, weren’t readily available to comment.
