As the 2010-11 academic year comes to an end, Associated Students, Inc. will mark a new beginning.
Student body President Pedro Ramirez will end his term, and current Executive Vice President Selena Farnesi will take over the presidential role.
“I know it’s been a different year, but I think with the controversy surrounding myself, that we’ve done a lot of good things in the Associated Students,” Ramirez said. “I think we’ve done more for our students than in recent years, and we accomplished a lot.”
Farnesi agrees with Ramirez that this has been a good year.
“As a senate, we had our ups and downs,” Farnesi said. “We have a lot to improve on, but it’s been a successful year.”
However, Farnesi believes that a lack of communication did take a toll within ASI and its members.
“I definitely think that there were more effective and efficient ways to solve this year’s problems,” Farnesi said. “I also think that we tried using those routes, and they were unsuccessful for one reason or another. ASI is all about leadership, and the leaders of the organization, especially the executive team need to be communicating and working together.”
Both Ramirez and Farnesi we’re under review by the ASI senate. Farnesi was being reviewed for potential violation of the Gloria Romero Act, and Ramirez was under review for possible violation of the university’s code of conduct for driving without a license.
Both cases were dismissed.
President of Fresno State John D. Welty said that to some degree the allegations preoccupied the members and distracted them from dealing with the bigger issues.
“It probably would have been more effective if they could have resolved some of those differences and reached compromise on some of the issues they were faced with,” Welty said.
Farnesi hopes to resolve the communication issues and apply policies for better communication within ASI for the coming school year.
“I intend to implement a couple new meeting structures, increase the amount of time the executives are working together in the office, set office hours ”” a couple of procedural things to help make those corrections,” Farnesi said.
Additionally, Farnesi is planning ways to reach out to the student population.
“We’re looking at ways to use media and digital resources to help get out the word about what we’re doing,” Farnesi said.
Farnesi said that even though ASI received a lot of negative attention this past year, the organization will benefit from the attention because it has made people more aware of what ASI is.
“We can use that to expand on the good that we’re doing here for the school,” Farnesi said.
Welty is hopeful of Farnesi and her goals.
“Selena Farnesi is certainly a veteran student leader and has been heavily involved in the past,” President Welty said. “I think she’s well prepared for her job.”
After the ASI senate meeting on June 1, Farnesi will be sworn into office at the Smittcamp Alumni House at 5 p.m. The event is open to the public.