The Associated Student Union elections officially closed this past Wednesday, May 15, 2024. The two positions that were open for candidates were the ASU president and ASU secretary. Results indicate that Contra Costa College student Yasmine Al Omari will be taking over as ASU president for the 2024-25 school year and Ode Kunthar, a sophomore at Middle College High School will take over as secretary. 

There are still many open ASU positions, but the student government group plans to open those in the fall.

Al Omari is in her second semester at CCC with plans to major in political science and minor in pre-law, she also works as an English tutor at CCC. 

“After personally experiencing the corruption of the justice system, and falling in love with the government in high school, I decided to pursue a career in Law,” Al Omari said regarding why she chose her major.

When asked about her experience at CCC, Al Omari said she “wouldn’t change it for the world,”

“The college experience for me has been very good with ups and downs but I’ve made so many friends and met very amazing people,” she said. 

Al Omari then discussed the process of running for a position at ASU.  

In order to run for an ASU position, the candidate must complete an election packet. The packet contains descriptions of available positions and deadlines for election documents when nominations open. Candidates are also required to fill out a nomination acceptance form,” which includes information about the candidates and a 150-word statement that is open for the school to view during election week and polling. There is also the “Candidates Nomination Supporting Signature form.” which requires prospective candidates to acquire 50 signatures from CCC students (and their ID numbers) in order to qualify for the election.

Candidates must also complete the “ASU Election Expense Report,” which states that they can only spend up to $50 on their campaigning materials and requires a signature from the student life program coordinator, Angela Loera.

In addition, candidates must have a minimum 2.0 GPA and take at least 5 credits worth of classes per semester. Any student can run, whether they are enrolled in CCC or Middle College High School. 

“I followed the Election Packet to a T-”,  Al Omari said. “You can be an exceptional candidate and plan to make positive changes for our college; however, if you fail to adhere to said rules, you’ll be disqualified.” 

When asked why she decided to run, Al Omari says that she felt it was important to address the lack of resources on campus.

“I attended an advocacy conference in Sacramento and even the Student Senate for California Community Colleges General Assembly in Santa Clara, opening my eyes to how I can not only advocate for myself but every other unique student at CCC,”  she said.

The new ASU president hopes to apply the political knowledge she has gained from her course into her role to make some changes to the campus. She is hoping to reopen the cafeteria soon, stating that “students shouldn’t have to rely on the book store or off campus places as the main sources of fuel.  

She has other plans, as well but doesn’t want to over promise on her goals. 

“I don’t want to give false hope or make empty promises, but I’m trying my best,” she said.

Al Omari says that the ASU hasn’t come up with a plan regarding the open positions yet, but they will most likely stay open until the next election. 

“I was told that they are planning to create more positions,” Al Omari explained. 

She advises students to be on the lookout on ASU’s Instagram page for announcements this upcoming fall semester.