Alan Xie elected next Student Member of the Board

Richard Montgomery sophomore Alan Xie defeated Damascus junior Nick Maggio in county-wide elections held this week for the position of 2010- 2011 Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB), according to a report posted on the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Student Affairs Office web site yesterday.

Xie will begin his term as the 33rd SMOB on July 1, taking the place of current SMOB, Thomas Wootton High School senior Tim Hwang. "I'm pretty surprised by the way things turned out," Xie said. "It's quite an honor, and as the third sophomore to be elected, I'll try to fill Tim's shoes as best as I can manage."

According to the vote summary, 64,878 of 74,854 registered student voters cast ballots in the election. All high schools and middle schools in Montgomery County reported voter results, as did one alternative program and Rock Terrace School. Xie clinched 47,549 votes or 73.64 percent to defeat Maggio, who received 17,018 votes or 26.36 percent. Blair submitted 2,127 ballots, with Xie winning 72.59 percent of the Blazer vote, according to an individual school report on the MCPS Student Affairs Office web site.

Student Government Association (SGA) members administered both SGA and SMOB elections in the Media Center on Wednesday. Voting was delayed slightly due to a fire drill during third period, according to SGA member senior Sam Zucker. However, "things went smoothly and the elections were completed without serious error," he said.

Xie supports reforming the Loss of Credit (LC policy), expanding cell phone rights to middle school students, reinstating Drivers Education as an elective class and ensuring funding for school-sponsored programs.

To prepare for his term as SMOB, Xie hopes to work with Hwang and MCR President-elect Daniel Arias in the coming months. "I am very excited to working with my colleagues on the Board as well as student government associations like MCR, MCJC and MASC," Xie said.