The Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) elections took place Monday from 9 p.m. to Tuesday 9 p.m., and results were announced Tuesday evening. 895 students voted, compared to 852 in 2011 and 735 in 2010.
Unopposed candidates won several positions, including ASPC President, which, according to Smith Campus Center Assistant Director Ellie Ash-Balá was consistent with previous trends.
Although some candidates campaigned for their posts, not much competition was present for each position this year; however, Ash-Balá said she was not overly concerned by the low number of student candidates this year.
“The students who choose to run every year are the ones who know they will be committed to their positions, and those are the ones I enjoy working with,” she said. “I would love it if more students were interested in being on Senate, but I don’t want more students to run just for the sake of having more candidates on the ballot. The goal is to have a committed, engaged, diverse group of student representatives, and we have achieved that each year I have been at Pomona.”
Darrell Jones III PO ’14 ran for ASPC President unopposed. As the current Commissioner of Community Relations, Jones said he fostered “a campus climate hospitable to various voices,” and that he is “committed to increasing communication and substantive collaboration between various organizations on campus and between student groups and the administration.”
Jones’s past experience includes creation of the ASPC Ustream live channel to increase Senate transparency and conversation engagement with the administration about installing gender neutral bathrooms in academic buildings. In addition, he promoted 5C collaboration and communication of events through active engagement in Event Claremont, the 5C social calendar.
During his years at Pomona, Jones has been a Pomona Events Committee member, sponsor, Housing Rights Center Intern, Chair of the Committee on Campus Climate and Diversity, and entrepreneur.
“With the support of a talented and committed crop of ASPC senators, I hope to rock the boat next year with initiatives that deliver tangible results,” Jones said. “I’ve already initiated discussions with ASCMC [Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College] leadership about creating a unified 5C Intramural Sports program. In addition to those projects, I’m also committed to establishing Event Claremont as the one-stop spot for information regarding 5C events. This centralization process is key to improving communication and collaboration. I hope that a restructuring of group budget stipulations will also serve to increase true collaboration between different groups.”
As a member of the Reserves Investment Oversight Committee, Jones oversaw the investment of more than $250,000 in ASPC reserves. Through his participation on the President’s Advisory Committee on Diversity, Jones contributed to the framing of the diversity on campus.
Jones said he will also strive to provide more accommodations to students staying on campus over spring break to minimize unnecessary financial burdens, as well as to promote more collaboration between groups on campus.
“I’m looking to promote entrepreneurship next year. Hopefully, we can provide awards for entrepreneurial solutions to on-campus challenges or small loans/grants for budding entrepreneurs,” Jones said.
Other winners were: Eric Martinez PO ’14 as Vice President for Finance, Giselle Fierro PO ’14 as Vice President for Campus Events, Julia Austenfeld PO ’15 as Commissioner of Academic Affairs, Sumi Maristany PO ’15 as Commissioner of Clubs and Sports, Sarah Hardimon PO ’16 as Commissioner of Communications, Elena Cardenas PO ’16 as Commissioner of Community Relations, Emma Fullem PO ’14 as Commissioner of Environmental Affairs, Kimberley Africa PO ’15 as Commissioner of Off-Campus Relations, Emma Wolfarth PO ’14 as Senior Class President, Don Swan PO ’15 as Junior Class President, Gabriela Guerra PO ’14 as At-Large Representative on the Student Affairs Committee of the Trustees, Bryan Phan PO ’15 as At-Large Representative on the Academic Affairs Committee of the Trustees, and Kai Orans PO ’14 as At-Large Representative on the Finance Committee of the Trustees.
The election also passed the Divestment Resolution, which demonstrated student support for divesting the College’s funds from fossil fuel corporations, with 78 percent voting in favor, the Green Revolving Fund Resolution with 93 percent voting in favor, and three ASPC constitution changes—a senator name change, and changes in the description for Vice President for Finance and Commissioner of Communications—with 95 percent, 98 percent, and 97 percent voting in favor, respectively.