La Voz News
Volume 64, Issue 2
The voice of De Anza since 1967
Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
lavozdeanza.com
Four DASG senators resign District policy keeps trustee seat vacant, senate to internally elect other positions
By Wylder Robison LA VOZ STAFF
Three De Anza Student Government senators resigned from the senate at its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 25 in the Student Council Chambers. Chair of Events Joey Hua, 19, aerospace major and both flea market liaisons, Benjamin Vahidi, 18, biology major and Lakshya Saini, 19, computer science major, stepped down from their positions. “Growing commitments in my professional endeavors … require a greater share of my time and focus,” Saini wrote in his resignation letter, which Chair of Administration James Nguyen, 19, electrical engineering major, read on his behalf. Hua wrote that he resigned over personal complications. “I have learned a lot from being a part of DASG senate,” Hua wrote. “I’m grateful for the memories and time we spent together.” Vahidi did not leave a resignation letter for Nguyen to read and was absent from the meeting. DASG also formally removed Elora Zhu, computer science major,
PHOTO BY MARY ARSLAN
The DASG senate hears a report at its Feb. 25 meeting in the Student Council Chambers. from her post as student trustee. Despite her resignation and subsequent removal as student trustee, Zhu continues to run for reelection. Zhu resigned on Feb. 11 over “ongoing personal circumstances and my current situation.” Budget Analyst Jacob Kao, 26, data science major, volunteered himself to fill Zhu’s gap on the board,
but Nguyen and DASG President Jayven Huang, 19, computer science major, already planned for an internal appointment on the senate’s agenda. Originally, the senate planned to approve Election Commissioner Francesca Cacchione, 21, computer engineering and mechanical engineering major, to serve as an interim student trustee, but district policy
prevents it from filling the position without the board’s consent. “I found out from the chancellor’s office that the board of trustees has to approve (DASG filling) the vacancy (Zhu left behind),” faculty advisor Hyun-Chu Yi Baker said. Yi Baker also said the board will appoint the upcoming trustee at its March 9 meeting, the meeting that
Cacchione would have filled in for. Because of this, there will not be a student trustee representing the student body at De Anza at the board’s upcoming March 9 meeting. “If you all would like to go and sit in the audience as a member of the public, those (district board) meetings are open just like ours,” Yi Baker said. DASG executive officer elections will wrap up on March 4 by 6 p.m., with the administration committee certifying the election on March 6. Cacchione declined to comment. Events Coordinator Ryan Yi will succeed Hua, with the senate appointing him as Chair of Events during its March 4 meeting at 4 p.m. The senate will appoint Yi and the two flea market liaisons’ replacement in an internal election next week. Huang said Saini and Vahidi’s replacements will be chosen through midterm elections. In an internal election, including midterm elections, the senate interviews interested candidates and votes to appoint the best candidate. While internal elections for next year’s senate will be open to the public, the senate only considers committee interns for midterm elections. “It is a very difficult situation, and I understand your reasons for leaving,” Huang said. “I want to send you off with one round of applause for all the work that you put in.”
Ensemble builds club community Music club prepares for performance By Taylor Kim LA VOZ STAFF
PHOTO BY TAYLOR KIM
Huey Lee, 21, computer science and political science major, warms up with his Gretsch Hollow body electric guitar. The guitar gives a warmer sound than a typical electric guitar does.
From first time performers to seasoned musicians, students from the De Anza Music and Volunteering Association gathered on Friday, Feb. 6 to rehearse for the annual De Anza College Flea Market performance. The club features singers and musicians of different musical skill levels who use the performance as an opportunity to express themselves. Club secretary Nimiksha Thummalapalli, 18, biochemistry major, led the group’s rehearsal to the song “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. “This performance means much more than a stress reliever,” Thummalapalli said. “A lot of people like to perform and we like to offer those opportunities.” See “Music” on page 2
PHOTO BY MARY ARSLAN
As of Feb. 17, the DeHart Library has physical copies of OpenStax’s biology and psychology textbooks. OpenStax has also made its textbooks free to access online.
Faculty rolls out free textbooks By Jonathan Nguyen-Au LA VOZ STAFF
Several educational departments at De Anza College have developed Open Educational Resources content plans to reduce costs for students. These plans are underway thanks to a $1.6 million budget through acceleration grants for the Zero Textbook Cost Degree Grant. ZTC is a government-funded program that lowers textbook costs at California community colleges
by creating OER materials and resources like LibreTexts and OpenStax. The program started in 2016, with an initial $5 million budget. This later accumulated to $115 million in 2021, with expectations of full implementation by either this fall or the deadline, Jan. 2027. “Our classes are supposed to be affordable and approachable,” said James Perla Adams, instructional librarian and OER coordinator. See “Textbooks” on page 2
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