Campus Connection

On April 9, the University Student Government Association (USGA) held elections to select new officers for the upcoming 2008-2009 school year.  Of the three current officers who competed in the elections, two retained their positions and a third, Jannet Hseih who formerly served as chief of public relations, was elected as president.  Five of the six officer positions were uncontested in the elections. 

Elections of USGA officers are traditionally held at the end of each spring semester, and only current senators are permitted to vote.  The organization’s constitution also requires that candidates for officer positions have had at least one prior year of experience serving as a senator. 

The only contested race was between incumbent Tom Dunn, a second-year pharmacy student, and Rashi Jawade, a law student, for the position of USGA treasurer.  Dunn won by a substantial margin, garnering 21 votes to Jawade’s nine.  Dunn will continue to chair USGA’s Appropriations Committee. 

Melody Daroogar, a second-year dental student with two years of experience on USGA, won the vice president position to succeed Lindsey Marable, a law student who will be graduating this semester.  27 of 28 votes were cast for Daroogar, with one abstention recorded.  As part of the vice president’s responsibilities, Daroogar will also lead the USGA’s Pennington Committee, which focuses on developing campus-wide community service activities. 

Julia Chan, a fourth-year graduate student in epidemiology, won a third-term to serve as USGA’s secretary.  She won 27 of 28 votes cast with one abstention.  She will continue leading USGA’s Programming Committee in sponsoring campus-wide social activities, a responsibility typically tasked to the secretary. 

Evan Cordes, a law student, succeeded Jade Bernstein, a graduate student, as USGA parliamentarian.  He received 27 votes, with one senator abstaining.  As parliamentarian, Cordes will chair the organization’s Constitutional Review Committee. 

Cynthia Chau, a dentistry student, will serve as chief of public relations after receiving 27 of 28 votes with one abstention in the election.  Next year, she will lead the USGA’s Public Relations Committee. 

Jannet Hseih, a third-year pharmacy student, will succeed Jessie O’Kane who is graduating this semester from the School of Pharmacy.  Hseih won with 27 votes and one abstention. 

The new officers will comprise the USGA Executive Board, which serves as the organization’s leadership body overseeing administrative and other supervisory functions. 

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