Wible Elected New ASU Pres

Voters overwhelmingly selected Josh Logan Wible as the new president for the 2008-2009 Associated Student Union. The vice president and four other commissioners were also elected after two days of student voting in Valley College's Monarch Square.

The voting was organized by the current ASU board and took place on April 15 and 16, attracting a total of 423 votes for the new ASU Executive Council. Wible was named the new president after collecting 322 votes.

"I'm excited at the amount of support I had, the 80 percent approval was very reassuring," Wible said. "I've already started the planning phase with some of the other [winners], the vice president particularly, where we're going to try to implement some programs next year to really re-involve the students on the campus."

Wible said achieving greater student involvement in the student government at Valley is one of his first major goals.

"I'm sure a lot of people have noticed how a lot of activities on campus are getting smaller and smaller," Wible said. "As far as clubs days, less people are coming out and there are less culturally themed events. Even the voting in and of itself had a low turnout."

The 423-vote total was one of the lowest in the last five years, a problem that is also recognized by the current ASU President, Mari Kiridjian.

"I would like to have seen more students getting involved and applying for positions," Kiridjian said. "Last year, there were [many] more students who voted."

Kiridjian attributed the low number of votes to a lack of student awareness about the ASU and said she felt more publicity and time would increase votes.

"I would just suggest that the next year's board, along with the lobby committee, come up with a new and unique strategy to getting students to vote," Kiridjian said. "Perhaps a mentoring program for the candidates. Walking a day in our shoes really shows students what we (ASU) really do."

Some students said more election announcements and visibility could possibly improve voter turnout.

"I didn't vote because I had no idea there were elections," said Valley student Jasmine Nguyen. "I would have voted if I knew. Maybe they should post more signs around the campus so students would know about it."

Wible and the new board are set to take over at the end of May, and he said he is going to meet with Kiridjian soon to ease the transition and get a quick start on his plans.

"We have a long summer ahead of us planning this out but we have some big things in store for the fall," Wible said. "I'm going to be spending as much time as I can alongside Mari in a shadowing and mentoring phase to transition into the new government."

For her part, Kiridjian said she is leaving behind a set of ASU journals that she had each commissioner keep as a blueprint for the new board and is optimistic about Wible's future.

"I think Josh will be an awesome president," Kiridjian said. "He is very passionate about the position. I will be working with him until the semester ends because it's not easy to pick up where someone left off if you have no clue what to do."

Other posititions appointed through the elections were vice president, commissioners of public relations, student and social affairs, political affairs and athletics. Students also voted for candidates running for an open position as a Los Angeles Community College District student trustee, including Jamoceo Black, the current ASU vice president.