Students of American University of Sharjah (AUS) elected new members to serve on the Student Council following successful elections held at the Student Center yesterday, May 15. The event was the culmination of week-long electoral activities in which candidates canvassed for votes.

Fourteen candidates were elected by the student body to represent them as members of the Student Council. The elected candidates represent the university's diverse and multicultural student body. Elected to the office of Student Council President was Mohammed Sultan Al Qasimi.

A total of 1,746 out of 4,908 registered students voted in the elections, which represents a 35.57 percent voter turnout.

"Student involvement and interest in the Student Council has grown further throughout the years due to the many accomplishments of previous Student Council boards in conveying student concerns to the administration," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. "This year, a good number of candidates were very active students in our extracurricular programs. I am glad to witness the growing number of students taking up leadership roles as a result of the programs we organize in Student Affairs. This is a manifestation of the effectiveness of the university's extracurricular programs and to achieving Student Affairs' vision of shaping future leaders. I wish the new Student Council board a productive year ahead," Dr. Al Shehhi added.

Students who wish to be eligible for election as members of the AUS Student Council Board are required to lead an active campus life as well as have good academic and social standing. Experience in serving on the executive boards of clubs and active participation in extracurricular events and activities is also important.

"I have a set of goals for representing College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)," said Amna Ali Alali, a junior in mass communication who was elected student council representative for CAS. "I plan for there to be more communication between the dean and the students, as well as working on sorting out problems that might crop up between departments and students," she added.

For Haya Mourad, a sophomore in multimedia design who was volunteering at the event, the election day was "very crowded and very thrilling. It was very chaotic but a lot of fun! I was really happy to have helped out with the election," she added.

The Student Council aims to initiate programs and projects that cater to the demands of the student body as well as promote leadership and teamwork. The Student Council election was organized by the Student Activities Office of the AUS Office of Student Affairs.

The 14 students elected on the Student Council 2013-2014 board are:

Mohammed Sultan Al Qasimi: President

Osama Nehad Alhasan: Vice President

Ahmed Abdelrahman El Tinai: Vice President for Public Relations

Meerah Qamber Al Mulla: Executive Secretary and Office Director

Jabir Abdul Khalique Iqbal: Treasurer

Abeer Riyadh Sultan: Events and Activities Coordinator

Bassel Mohamad Khanafer: Athletics and Sports Coordinator

Yara Ahmed Ramadan: Communication and Media Coordinator

Hamad Ali Al Ketbi: Student Organizations and Campus Services Coordinator

Amna Ali Alali: College of Arts and Sciences Representative

Ola Husam Alali: College of Architecture, Art and Design Representative

Raghad Saud Al-Tamimi: School of Business and Management Representative

Mustafa Jamil Assaf: College of Engineering Representative

Mohamed Abdalla Sajwani: Achievement Academy Bridge Program Representative