By George Fujii Daily Bruin Staff While supporters chanted and
cheered, five members of the Praxis slate and four independents
were elected to the Undergraduate Students Association Council when
primary election results were announced early Friday morning.
Runoff elections will be held May 17-18 for the offices of
president and the three general representative positions. Voters
also approved two referenda, one to pay for construction of
additional recreation facilities and activities space, and another
to fund two student lobby groups. At 23.51 percent, voter turnout
dropped from last year’s 29.21 percent. Results were
announced at 1:30 a.m. outside Kerckhoff Hall by the USAC Election
Board. Elizabeth Houston, an independent candidate, and Katynja
McCory, of the Praxis slate, will vie for the presidency. Both were
confident about next week. “I feel great, I will be working
my fingers to the bone passing out flyers,” Houston said.
“I think this year the students not represented by Praxis are
really coming out to vote.” McCory said election results were
a victory for the entire Praxis slate. “I feel ecstatic,
because statistically and organizationally we won,” she said.
“Praxis is the most beautiful, most inclusive, and the most
united group of people.” Students also overwhelmingly
approved the Student Programs, Activities and Resource Complex
referendum, which failed last year. SPARC, approved by 77.27
percent of voters, will increase student fees by $84 annually to
renovate and expand the Men’s Gym and the Wooden Center.
Antonio Sandoval, a fourth-year political science student and a
undergraduate member of the SPARC planning board, was surprised by
the level of support. “It’s great, I was surprised we
got such a landslide win,” he said, adding that student input
on SPARC this year made the difference. A referendum supporting the
United States Student Association and the University of California
Students Association, two student advocacy organizations, also
passed with 61.39 percent of the vote. Kendra Fox-Davis, USSA
president, said the referendum was about more than money. “It
sends a really strong free speech message that students are willing
to defend the referenda process,” she said. Elias Enciso of
the Praxis slate will be the next USAC internal vice president,
beating out two other candidates. “I feel great, I feel like
all the love came through,” Enciso said. “I’m
going out to celebrate.” Eight candidates ran for the three
general representative positions, resulting in a runoff when no
candidate received at least 25 percent of the vote. Six candidates
will be in next week’s runoff. Ryan Bulatao, Cheryl Marie
Lott, and Elisa Sequeira of the Praxis slate, as well as Noah
Bookman of the Viable Alternative slate, and independent candidates
Katrina Eiland and Kendra Striegler will be in the runoff. Sequeira
said Praxis has the momentum leading into the run-offs. “The
ball is on our court and we’re just going to keep rolling
with it,” she said. Bookman said he is unsure on his next
move. “I’m a little nervous to overcampaign because I
think the whole student body is pretty much over the
campaigning,” Bookman said. Eiland said she was pleased by
the results. “We knew we were the underdogs going in,”
Eiland said. “Praxis is misguided as a group and I want to
change that.” RoseAnne Gutierrez, of Praxis, won the office
of academic affairs commissioner over Tova Fuller of Viable
Alternative. She said her goals include reforming the admissions
process and improving student retention and outreach programs.
Fuller said she would like to work with the commission next year.
The office of external vice president and six commissions ““
campus events, community service, cultural affairs, facilities,
financial supports, and student welfare ““ were uncontested.
Portia Pedro, the new EVP and a member of the Praxis slate, said
her goals include working on issues from financial aid to campus
safety. Out of four candidates on the Viable Alternative slate,
three lost. Bill Elliott, the leader of Viable Alternative and a
general representative candidate, said he was disappointed by the
results, but had no regrets. “We certainly wished more people
would have turned out,” Elliott said. “It was a bit
disheartening.” With reports from Andy Shah, Linh Tat and
Melody Wang, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.
USAC ELECTION RESULTS Total number of votes
cast: 5,512 Percentage of students who voted: 23.51% *To be
decided by run-off PRESIDENT Elizabeth Houston* 41.73%
Katynja McCory* 47.62% Jason Lautenschleger 8.33% Mani Foroohar
2.31% INTERNAL VICE PRESIDENT John Pham 18.72% Ramzi Ajami 28.83%
Elias Enciso 52.44% EXTERNAL VICE PRESIDENT Portia Pedro 100%
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMISSIONER Tova Fuller 36.57% RoseAnne Gutierrez
63.43% CAMPUS EVENTS COMMISSIONER Jared Seltzer 100% COMMUNITY
SERVICE COMMISSIONER Fannie Huang 100% GENERAL REPRESENTATIVES
Katrina Eiland* 11.38% Cheryl Marie Lott* 17.47% Dan Moroaica 3.73%
Noah Bookman* 11.20% Ryan Bulatao* 19.04% Elisa Sequira* 17.12%
Kendra Streigler* 11.88% Bill Elliot 8.18% CULTURAL AFFAIRS
COMMISSIONER Marselle Washington 100% FACILITES COMISSIONER Steve
Davey 100% STUDENT WELFARE COMMISSIONER Julie Ryu 100% REFERENDA
SPARC 77.27% UCSA/USSA 61.39% SOURCE: USAC Election Board Original
graphic by JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web adaptation by HARI
RAJASEKHAR/Daily Bruin Senior Staff and HERNANE TABAY/Daily
Bruin