ASUA official concerned about minority void

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat

Top Associated Students leaders noted the lack of a minority presence, but do not know the cause behind it, said President-elect Cisco Aguilar.

"I have no idea," he said. "We've been asking ourselves - what is this?"

Results from last week's ASUA general election revealed that two Hispanic students and one middle-eastern candidate were selected - the only three minorities who ran for office.

Aguilar and Senator-elect Ray Quintero, along with Ahmad Sa'ad Nasim, also a senator-elect, were the sole minority candidates out of 19 in last week's general elections.

Of the 1,704 University of Arizona students who voted this year - the second-lowest voter turnout in 10 years - 451 were minority students, according to ASUA elections documents.

As a detriment, even fewer minorities will have a role in student government, said ASUA President Tara Taylor.

"It's just a situation that we somehow need to find a remedy for," she said.

But, ASUA Elections Commissioner Anthony Hill said minority activity in the non-elected positions has been consistently high.

"There is a great diversity in ASUA," he said. "That's something I am very proud of."

Hill, however, ultimately placed responsibility for minority involvement in the hands of the minorities themselves.

"If there's a downturn for minority students, that's a wake-up call to them," he said.

Still, attracting a higher minority-student vote is a priority.

"I think a necessity to having an all-around student government is to have an all-around representation of the student body," Aguilar said.