Chair’s Confirmation Turns Contentious

After substantial and heated debate, senior Jessica Wren was confirmed as the ASUC Elections Council chair at last night’s senate meeting.

The senate’s debate centered around a political cartoon posted on Facebook that pictured numerous stick figures urinating on a copy of the ASUC constitution. A comment from Wren stating “I love you” appeared underneath the posting.

Some senators said Wren’s comment showed bias and suggested the senate find a new candidate for the position. Wren should only be considered, they argued, if another candidate could not be found within one week.

Wren, who was the only applicant for the position and served as the Elections Council chair last year, told the senate she would withdraw her application unless she was approved at the meeting.

“I am tired of my time being wasted,” she told the senate.

Some senators said that because Wren was the only person interested in the position, her appointment could be the only chance the senate had to find a chair for the council.

“A ‘nay’ vote is a vote to delay elections or not have a chair to run the elections,” CalSERVE Senator Van Nguyen told the senate. Van Nguyen served as the chair of the committee that nominated Wren to the senate.

Many members of the Student Action party, affiliated parties and the Defend Affirmative Action Party said Wren’s comment on the the cartoon showed a bias against the Student Action party which, they said, would affect her ability to conduct fair elections.

“This is difficult for me. I was planning on voting yes when I came in tonight, but I have been persuaded that there is a bias,” Student Action Senator Vivienne Nguyen told the senate. “When it comes down to elections, you shouldn’t already be swayed.”

Vivienne Nguyen was the only senator to formally address the senate with concerns against Wren’s appointment.

Wren said her comment on the posting containing the cartoon was intended as a message to the posting’s author, not a comment on the cartoon’s subject.

“I love the artist who created the graphic,” Wren told the senate.

Wren also said she had known the artist, who could not be reached for comment, since high school and that they were at one time roommates.

After lengthy debate and multiple informal polls showing that the senate was at a stalemate over Wren’s appointment, former executive vice president Anil Daryani, who was chairing the meeting in the place of current Executive Vice President Vishal Gupta, asked that the senate to enter into a short recess.

During the recess, Daryani told senators that what they felt was bias on the part of Wren couldn’t affect the elections.

“She’s not going to write a computer program so party votes go up or down,” Daryani told the senate. “If this is your greatest fear, I can tell you that this is not going to happen.”

After Wren was confirmed, some senators said the debate would ultimately make the elections stronger.

“It will put everyone on careful watch, Student Action Senator Jennifer Avelino said. “If there is a bias people will notice it right away.”

But Daryani said the debate over Wren was simply party politics.

“I think people oftentimes get caught up in party politics,” he said. “They are worried about what happens after elections. If they run a clean campaign, they won’t have any problems.”

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