Basics: Student Focus is alleged to have campaigned for the Fall 04' ASUCD Senate election in the Dorms. This is seen as a serious problem to some as it means they were campaigning closely to polling places on election day, which is against elections regulations. Some of the accusations include claims that the candidates "helped" people vote.
Nov 18th - Election Injustice Should Not Be Tolerated Guest Opinion by ASUCD Court Chief Justice Kris Fricke - The first hint that there are major controversies brewing is published the day the elections conclude
Nov 19th - "Student Focus" Takes Three of Six Possible Senate Seats - Election results announced, light allusions to controversy are made. ASUCD Vice President Paloma Pérez justifies the situation with "Many are guilty of campaigning in the dorms, even I've campaigned in the dorms."
Nov 22nd - Election Complaints Brought to Senate - Students return from the weekend to find the allegations have been brought up in Senate.
Nov 23rd - On November twenty-third the coverage mushroomed with:
- Article: "Student Focus" Potentially in Violation of Student Housing Rules - (which would simultaneously be a violation of elections rules)
- Editorial: Alleged Campaign Violations Necessitates Election Reform
- Letters-to-the-Editor: link - including "ASUCD Court should Have Power Returned" & a scathing response by the Elections Committee Chair to Justice Fricke's earlier guest opinion. Fricke in return responded with this rebuttal.
Senators Nafeh Malik and Sean Ruel resigned one week after they were sworn in. Mr. Ruel implied in a wiki edit comment that it was not due to the controversy.
Nov 30th - The California Aggie formally rescinds all pre-election Student Focus endorsements due to the controversy regarding dorm campaigning. A letter to the editor was also published alleging that Nafeh Malik participated in dorm campaigning, despite the fact he was on crutches.
Dec 2nd - The ASUCD Senate meeting in which the new candidates were supposed to be sworn in turned into a three-hour-long public discussion about whether the candidates alleged to have campaigned in the dorms should be sworn in or not. Because of the complaints filed against the Elections Committee in the Election Statement Controversy, it would violate ASUCD bylaws to swear in new candidates while the complaint was being considered by SJA. The Aggie has a good article covering the events of the senate meeting. The Senate agreed to continue with business without swearing in new officers, as many senators felt that ASUCD was under attack. Most felt it would be a bad idea to suspend the bylaws to let accused cheaters take office, including the recently elected Janine Fiel of the LEAD slate who did not want to take office under the circumstances. Dyanna Quizon in particular felt that campaigning in dorms was a sign of poor character, and denied ever taking place in any such activities.
Dec 7th - Aggie Articles:
- The California Aggie published many letters to the editor, critical of Focus' actions, at the dorms and in the Senate. One letter says that candidates should have legal ways to campaign in the dorms and reach out to freshmen, but Internal Affairs Commission Chair Kahliah Laney had said at the previous Senate meeting that her efforts to get candidates in the dorms would be hampered by the current scandal.
- Aggie Columnist Russ Fagaly wrote a column calling for the recall of the Student Focus candidates and arguing that ASUCD is in the worst shape it ever has been.
Jan 13th:
- Nafeh Malik resigns due to a sinking grade point average and Sean Ruel resigns because his parents took away his funding and he had to get a job. Both resign from the senate exactly one week after being sworn in.
