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The Associated Students filled its last vacant vice president position after starting off the school year with three unexpected vacancies, selecting a firebrand known for clashing with the administration for the final open seat.

Sarah Belknap, who has been an active voice on campus in the past, was appointed as the AS Vice President for Sustainability at an AS meeting on Sept. 25.

Belknap has frequently made appearances at protests and board meetings, voicing frustration at the administration’s actions.

File Photo Courtesy of Neil Protacio Campus Police deny student protestor Sarah Belknap from attending the Board Of Trustees meeting in the Creveling Lounge on July 17, 2013.
File Photo Courtesy of Neil Protacio
Campus Police deny student protestor Sarah Belknap from attending the Board Of Trustees meeting in the Creveling Lounge on July 17, 2013.

She was escorted outside of the Creveling Lounge as recently as a July 17 Board of Trustees meeting after quietly unfurling a “Bring Back Winter” banner.

“I sat with information in my hands with my hand raised for over an hour that transfers would not be able to go in [for fall 2013 transfer]. This was a completely foreseeable problem,” Belknap said at the time.

Belknap is now eager to use her time on the AS Executive Board to benefit PCC students.

“[Associate Students] has been operating with not enough students for the first half of the semester,” Belknap said. “I was excited to take some of that load off and do my fair share. I wanted to come out of the gate running.”

Belknap was quick to sign up to be an AS representative on the College Council alongside AS President Jordyn Orozco and Miranda Alvarado, vice president for student services.

Orozco criticized College Council for inconsistencies concerning meeting times and locations.

“They’re very up in the air right now about where they meet and how they meet,” said Orozco.

College Council is an advisory committee that incorporates faculty, staff, management and students that advise the president before he goes to the board.

Orozco compared the situation to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters from the Harry Potter universe—a hidden train platform only accessible by inside knowledge of the magical world.

Student Trustee Simon Fraser echoed that the scheduling and timing of the meeting isn’t conducive to student participation.

“There seemed to be some sort of agreement that this year they would all have their schedules set in a year in advance,” Fraser said. “Students don’t get release times for classes.”

The executive board is now complete and working cohesively in contrast to last spring, when AS was embroiled internal conflicts.

“I’m really excited about this new position,” said Belknap. “I’m bringing a lot different speakers to campus to talk about sustainability, the environment and some of the eco-crises we face like global warming and pollution.”

“What I hope is that students who are environmentally minded will be able to come to me and I’m really excited to meet those people and bring them in,” she added. “I want to be someone on the executive board who does works and gets things done.”

 

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