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Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) Elections Commissioner Christian Giadolor ’21 announced election results at Friday’s Zoom Election Night Special, praising the diversity of the candidates running and their flexibility in adapting to the “unusual circumstances.” Former ASSU President Shanta Katipamula ’19 M.S. ’20 also gave advice to incoming ASSU leaders at the event.
Giadolor addressed the Zoom-bombing of a town hall hosted by The People’s Caucus, a slate of 10 students of color running for Undergraduate Senate, in which several unknown participants hurled racial hate speech and broadcast violent and anti-Semitic images at the candidates.
“We are not intimidated by you, and we will ceaselessly continue our work in rectifying trauma, building bridges and leaving a positive impact on this world,” Giadolor said. “You will not defeat us, and you will not silence us.”
All 10 members of The People’s Caucus won seats in the Undergraduate Senate.
It might be impossible to identify the true identities of the Zoom-bombers, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole wrote in an email to students on Friday.
Katipamula advised future ASSU leaders to take steps to preserve institutional knowledge and work to connect administrators directly to students.
“This coming year, you’re going to be facing an uphill battle,” Katipamula said. “I want to encourage you to celebrate those small wins because those are just as meaningful as the really lofty goals that you all want to accomplish.”
Katipamula also joked that listeners may have received “the short end of the stick,” as the ASSU had hoped to get Julián Castro ’96 and Joaquin Castro ’96 to speak at the event.
ASSU Director of Communications Cricket X. Bidleman ’21 congratulated the students elected, and thanked those who ran, in a statement from the ASSU issued to The Daily after the event.
“Our goal is to uplift student voices, and we hope you will continue contributing to our work,” Bidleman wrote. “Together, we have the power to make a long-lasting, positive impact on the present and future Stanford community.”