Nielsen Gabriel wins ASI president; highest voter numbers in years

Members+of+%23LEADusforward+and+Vote+Me%2C+Vote+%5BYOU%5D+stand+with+anticipation+of+the+results+during+the+ASI+Results+Election+Party+in+the+Union+Redwood+Room+on+Wednesday.%0A

Members of #LEADusforward and Vote Me, Vote [YOU] stand with anticipation of the results during the ASI Results Election Party in the Union Redwood Room on Wednesday.

Natalie Gray and Kaitlin Sansenbach

After a long campaigning process, countless hours preparing and endless hard work, Sacramento State’s student body has elected Nielsen Gabriel as the new president of ASI for the 2013-2014 school year.

“Nielsen has been dedicated to ASI for three years,” said alumnus Vance Jarrard. “He’s here to truly serve the students and bring ASI to a place that’s more visible and accessible to every student. Kyle has lost every election and then doesn’t get involved. After Nielsen lost, he still joined committees and still did what it took to be part of ASI.”

In the Associated Students Incorporated elections held Tuesday and today, students showed up in more numbers this year than they have in the last seven years. A total of 3,783 students used their own computers, ASI election booths and other technology to poll for their favorite candidates. 

The Vote Me, Vote You organization’s candidate Nielsen Gabriel won by 11.25 percent of the vote for President of ASI.

“I’m in tears I’m so excited,” Gabriel said. “I worked so hard for this. I’m so extremely excited.”

Current Vice President of University Affairs Kelly Cassidy said she supports the student body vote for Gabriel.

“I cannot imagine another person more experienced or better suited for the position than him,” Cassidy said. “Our student body deserves a president like Nielsen – someone who is in this not just to build his resume, but who genuinely cares about this university, (and) most of all the students.”

Another ASI election candidate who has the student body in mind is the newly elected Executive Vice President Erica Brown. Brown ran on a foundation of publicizing the members of ASI and what they can do for the students at Sac State.

“One of the things I want to do is have a ASI board with the faces and contact information of all the members, so all the students can contact them if they want their voice to be heard,” Brown said. “I want the ASI elected candidates to be out in the open, to be contacted and connected personally with the people on campus.”

With a 1.95 percentage point margin, Kayla Wheeler was victorious in the Vice President of Finance election.

“We are so proud of Kayla for all her hard work and dedication to not only her positions in ASI for the past three years but to her dedication to our sisterhood of Alpha Phi,” said Breanna Cusick, president of Alpha Phi. “She’s done an outstanding job as one of our vice presidents and I know that will continue with her new position.”  

The closet election was for the Director of Arts and Letters won by Sara Tulane.

This vote was won by 1.29 percentage points, making it one of the closest votes ASI has seen in awhile Cassidy said.

Here is the full list of winners:

President will be Nielsen Gabriel.

Executive Vice President will be Erica Brown.

Vice President of Finance will be Kayla Wheeler.

Vice President of University Affairs will be Darsey Varnedoe Jr.

Vice President of Academic Affairs will be Chantel Banus.

Director of Arts and Letters will be Sara Tulane.

Director of Business will be Michael Bloss II.

Director of Education will be Berenice Espitia.

Director of Engineering Computer Science will be Juhee Krishan.

Director of Health and Human Services will be David Hernandez.

Director of Natural Science and Mathematics will be Diljeet Virk.

Director of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies will be Lauren Lombardo.

Undeclared Director will be Yajayra Gonzalez.

Graduate Director will be Matthew Steinwert.

State Hornet Publications Board members will be Ashley Cliver and De’Anthony D. Jones.

In Referenda Poll Group, 71.98 percent of the students who voted want a smoke-free campus. Out of those who voted for the smoke free campus, 71.33 percent want the campus to be smoke and tobacco free.