 "Photo: Kerry Kralovic")
Dear Gator Student Body,
Members of the ASGRCC Student Government acknowledge and take responsibility for misinterpretation of ASGRCC By-Law Article II, Section I, Subsection 1 which rendered the results of the 2010-2011 Presidential Election invalid.
For that, we would like to officially apologize to the candidates and student body.
It turns out, the issue stems from a grammatical error. We reference a section of the By-Laws (meaning rules for Student Government) regarding requirements for a student to run for office and the original wording in that section was unclear and left room for multiple interpretations, only one of which was correct. Last year, the wording was changed to make each requirement clear and distinct. In updating this year's Elections packet (info and guidelines given to each candidate), the new updates were not transcribed, and so remained ambiguous. Therefore, the incorrect interpretation was used in the election process. The issue was brought to the attention of Senate, after elections were completed. The consequences of that mistake were too much to ignore, and as a Senate, we took immediate action.
We have to adhere to our By-Laws. Why? Because they guide Student Government. Why? Because we created them! Students in years past created and continued this set of rules with one goal in mind: to protect the genuine value of student voices and uphold the quality of those representing them. These By-Laws are not random restrictions designed to limit the creativity or power of the Senate or students.
Updating, modifying, and fine-tuning the By-Laws is its own monster. It's a continuous process to where an entire committee is devoted in Senate (By-Laws Committee). The Elections misinterpretation has unearthed some additional sections of the By-Laws that need revision. Admittedly, this particular situation has not happened in the past. There is not a formal process for it. We are having to set precedents with the decisions we make.
As a senate, we decided to enact a special online only election with the remaining qualifying candidate. Every student had the opportunity to use their voice and vote again. The decision remains in your hands.
We hope you trust we take seriously the pride and importance of being Green River Student representatives. We have brainstormed, debated, weighed, considered, decided and acted according to our shared goals of representing all GRCC students.
ASGRCC Student Government
is a member of the 
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