Vice President of Marketing Anamaría Morales announced her decision to resign in the appointment and removals phase of the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on April 30, saying she did not feel welcome in the SGA. Morales was appointed VP of marketing at the beginning of the semester by the SGA.

Morales explained that because she was appointed the position rather than being elected, she did not feel welcomed by everyone in the student government making it hard for her to do her job.

Morales said, “I had to figure out what this job really means—coming into this position without any sort of info from the previous president of marketing about what this job entitles—it was like me, myself and I trying to figure everything out.”

Morales said she’s concerned about the student who will be replacing her, as well as any new coming government members.

“I’m saying this because we’re going to be getting some new members in government and I don’t want them to have to go through what I went through,” Morales said.

Morales walked out after her resignation. The current president Evelyn Navarro asked everyone to hold their questions and to respect Morales’s words and save any discussion with her to happen outside the meeting.

Shawn Hartshorn Director of Clubs Petaluma got up, breaking quorum, and followed her outside the SGA senate chambers to chat before she left.

Morales elaborated saying Hartshorn only came out to apologize.

“Shawn was one of the people who didn’t say anything to me—we didn’t connect. He came out to apologize and explained how he was sorry for not stepping up,” Morales said.

Morales felt a lot of hostility during her time with SGA from the outgoing president, saying their relationship never seemed to click.   

“I felt like there was a secret hatred on her behalf of me. She wouldn’t email me back, wouldn’t excuse absences even though I got them excused.”

Another issue was that Morales’ personal work email, one that officers get when they assume their positions, had technical issues for the entirety of her term that were never resolved. “I didn’t even get access to my work email the entire time I was with the SGA, who do I ask questions if I don’t even know anyone personally?”

Morales felt let down by her experiences in student government back in high school and thought her college student government experience would change that.

“I’ve been in student government since high school and was expecting it to be different, but it felt way too clicky coming in as a new comer not knowing anyone not having any idea about what my job entitled,” Morales said. “It shouldn’t be so hard to approve or get things done, it was so hostile and unproductive I had to do things on my own, resign and hope someone else could have a better experience.”

Morales was issued an unexcused absence last meeting because she left with 80 minutes left in the meeting. Navarro will not be validating the verbal resignation because Morales didn’t submit a formal letter of resignation.

The Vice President of Marketing position or any other position is available to any student who fills the necessary requirements. There are three weeks left in this semester’s SGA term.