The Associated Student Body named seven new officers and senators Monday who promise big changes for the 2010-2011 academic year. Student elections were conducted online through Pipeline from April 26 through April 29.

Around a conference table, Dr. Ben Partee, student senate adviser and dean of educational programs, announced the record-breaking senate election results in front of the candidates. With a total of 621 votes in the elections, the new senators were named.

Current Vice President of Senate Affairs, Atty Garfinkel, was named senate president following an uncontested race.

“I ran for president because I have done everything else,” said Garfinkel, who succeeds 17-year-old Emily Harrington.

At the press conference she shared parts of her 22-page set of goals for her presidency.

Garfinkel plans to establish a budgetary committee in order to pay for new programs she expects to propose.

“Everything that I want to do…is going to take more money than is in our activities budget,” Garfinkel said.

She said the budgetary committee would be working closely with semester charity committees in the upcoming year to create numerous fundraising activities.

“It’s inappropriate for the administration to expect students to succeed without providing them their textbooks,” Garfinkel said. “So (for) those students who are in a need-base situation, we are going to make sure they get their books one way or another.”

As president, Garfinkel says she will work with students to resolve problems, inform school administration of ideas emanating from the student body and push for them to be worked on.

Santa Barbara native and San Marcos High School graduate, Zuma Vallejo-Howard, 19, will succeed Jason Stanley as vice president of operations and finance. Vallejo-Howard received 327 votes against opponent Ion Bugas’ 142.

Vallejo-Howard will take the responsibility of ensuring student funds are properly allocated throughout college departments.

“I want to push for more fundraising activities at the college, such as music festivals and other entertainment venues,” he said in his candidate platform.

Vallejo-Howard, a business economics major, hopes to fund and protect DSPS and EOPS, which are both threatened by the current state budget crisis.

“Basically I want to make sure they get the money they need,” he said.

Current Student Trustee Nicole Ridgell, 20, defended her position against Stephanie Hernandez-Jarvis and Omar Espinoza. Ridgell came out with 300 votes to Espinosa’s 243 and Hernandez-Jarvis’ 61.

Ridgell said she wants to make sure “every voice is heard.” She said too often people are hesitant to speak out because they believe their voice will not make a difference.

“We have to be strong and help students with their struggles,” Ridgell said.

As Student Trustee, Ridgell will relay the needs and concerns of students to the City College Board of Trustees meetings. She says she plans to create more opportunities to help students facing the difficulties of purchasing textbooks, paying the increased fees and transfer complexities.

Though Espinoza lost the student trustee position, he will still be a part of the student senate in the upcoming school year.

Partee said previous elections had only 200 to 300 votes, and said this year’s count was “mind-boggling.”

“Interest in student government has improved,” he said. “This has been an amazing year for this election.”

Elected in uncontested races were: Jordan King for vice president of external affairs; Ruby Limon for vice president of senate affairs; Commissioner of Clubs-elect Cassandra Siegel; Public Relations Officer-elect Eve Charbonneau; Ashleigh Brown for student advocate.

– Thomas Ugarte is a Journalism 101 student.

– Journalism 101 student Matthew Lock contributed to this story.