AS senator suddenly resigns

Senate looking to fill vacancy left by former city council and AS presidential candidate Michael Karbassi

By Maurice O. Ndole
The Collegian

Associated Students, Fresno State’s student government, has announced a vacancy for a senator at-large position after Senator Michael Karbassi tendered his resignation last Wednesday.

Karbassi did not give a reason for his resignation. In his resignation letter addressed to AS Executive Vice President Juan Pablo Moncayo he wrote:

“I Michael Karbassi, resign from the office of Senator for Student Affairs of Associated Students and all my duties therein effective immediately.”

Karbassi first resigned his position as chair of the personnel committee through a handwritten letter dated Nov. 7 that simply stated: “I have resigned as chair of the personnel committee.”

News about his resignation took Moncayo and AS president Jennifer Reimer by surprise.

“I really don’t know why he resigned,” Moncayo said.

Reimer also said Karbassi did not tell her the reason for his resignation.

“I know he is very busy. He has started a new job but I don’t know if that has anything to do with it,” Reimer said.

Moncayo and Reimer described Karbassi as a productive officer who served the student government with dedication.

“I think Michael did a good job. He was a very active senator and he always got his job done,” Reimer said.

Karbassi has retained his position as technology student representative of the California State Student Association for the California State University system.

“He did a very good job as a senator, personnel chair and as a CSSA representative,” Moncayo said.

Karbassi’s resignation marks another point in his political career, which began during the 2003 Fresno city council elections where he came in second, losing to councilman Brian Calhoun.

He was 20 years old.

After the city council loss, Karbassi set his sights on the 2004 AS presidential race where he once again came in second to last year’s president, Molly Fagundes.

He was, however, successful in this year’s AS election where he was elected senator at-large for student affairs.

His election in the senate presented him with an opportunity to become executive vice president. But his bid fell short and he lost to Juan Pablo Moncayo, the current executive president.

Karbassi declined to give the specific reason that led to his resignation but said he was going to miss representing students.

“One of the best things I ever did in Fresno State was AS. It was a really hard decision to resign,” Karbassi said. “I disagreed with a couple things and I decided to step aside.”

He said he would still represent students in other areas.

“I’ll stick with CSSA and I’m involved with other organizations on campus and I’ll always be here for students if they need anything,” Karbassi said.

Besides the CSSA, Karbassi still serves as a student representative in the University-wide Information and Technology Committee.

The AS is accepting applications to fill Karbassi’s positions. Applications can be picked up at AS offices and they should be returned by Friday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m to the AS office, USU room 316. The applications can also be downloaded from AS Web site at http://csufresno.edu/studentgovt/

For further information call (559) 278-2656.

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