News | 4/24/08

Media Credit: Patrick Smith [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Kris Marsh [Click to enlarge]

Team Tigertown's campaign strategy of pitching their group as a unit proved effective Wednesday when the ticket swept the elections for the Student Government Association executive board.

Kristen Guy was elected SGA president, with James Torrence as vice president, John Graf as treasurer, and Julie Lyst as attorney general.

"I'm feeling ecstatic. I'm super excited and I cannot wait for next year to get started. We ran our whole campaign based off as a team and getting voted in as a team," Guy said. "I felt the entire time we were almost criticized for that and I just can't wait to prove to the student body that a team can do wonders on the executive board of the SGA."

A record number of 2,081 votes were cast, 620 more votes than last year. Guy defeated Foundation ticket candidate for president Bill Logan 1,186 to 852.

"We want to make SGA fun. We want to get out there and hear what you have to say and create your Tigertown," Guy said. "Basically, the main purpose that we really want to get accomplished next year is to advocate for the students and not just the 40 members of SGA."

The major issues Guy said her ticket would focus on next semester are making the SGA more accessible to students, lowering the costs of textbooks, and making ongoing campus construction less of a nuisance to students.

She said during her tenure as president, the SGA would set up an e-mail account to enable easier contact with the SGA. Also, she proposed that SGA meetings take place outdoors so students could see the work SGA does and that monthly town hall meetings would be held for more input.

Of all the results, Logan was most surprised by the full ticket sweep.

"I'm really shocked that it went straight ticket. I thought that a lot of things would happen that I thought people would consider," Logan said. "It's just difficult because we worked our asses off to take this and for none of it in essence to be worth while, besides the voter turnout, it's kind of irritating."

Logan said he had not made a decision about returning to the SGA. However, he said he would consider a director position. For now, he is focused on upholding his promises he made during his campaign.

"We have a couple promises to uphold…like our community services. That's something I really stand for, win or lose, I wanted to make a difference through campaigning," Logan said.

Similarly Team Tigertown, is eager to fulfill the promises they made during their campaign.

"I'm feeling great that our team got elected. Now we have to get out there and do what we have to do. We promised the student body something and we have to keep our promises," Torrence said. "These people are my family. We sat together, cried together, stressed together and did homework together."

Torrence beat Foundation candidate Antonio Hernandez 1,257 to 763.

Newly elected treasurer Graf shared his teammate's views. Graf beat Foundation candidate John Eubank IV 1,136 to 670.

"I'm feeling really good, really excited about what just took place. I think we're really going to make some really good changes and fix a lot of problems," he said

Lyst, the only member of Team Tigertown that has no SGA experience, expressed no worries about taking office as attorney general. She said she would act as a liaison among the students, SGA and administration. Lyst beat out Foundation candidate Lauren Seserko and independent candidate Ryan Assadi with 879 votes. Assadi received 708 votes and Seserko received 442.

"I've always been in student groups…So I know how it is to be in a group that doesn't understand the SGA. There is a block and I want to stop that. I want to break it down and really be there for student groups," Lyst said. "I have three people on my ticket who have been in SGA…we have five years total experience with SGA. I take this job very seriously now that I've got it. And I'm going to read up on everything that I can, and if I have a question I'll ask it."

Assadi said Lyst's inexperience will be an issue next year.

"I'm very pleased with my campaign and how everything went. Honestly I'm just disappointed in the student body as a whole," Assadi said. "I truly feel this was not the right decision…I was the individual who helped develop this position and I really wanted to advocate for the students from the position."

Assadi plans on returning to the SGA as a director or justice, a new position, part of the recently approved judicial branch of the SGA.

"I'm not going to let my own distaste or being upset prevent me from helping the students," Assadi said.

Eubank and Hernandez were discontent after suffering wide margin losses.

"It's like, whatever right now," Eubank said. "I campaigned as hard as I could, did it to my best, and kind of got screwed over by some rumors that were going around about me that weren't true."

Hernandez lost his seat as vice president but gained a leadership position with another organization.

"I just came from a Latin American Student Organization meeting and found out that I was going to be the president next semester. It's kind of like a high and low, but I'm feeling all right for now," Hernandez said.

Also on Wednesday, the SGA Constitution was approved and eight unopposed senators were elected.

Seventeen students ran for 18 positions, however nine were disqualified due to failure to submit expense reports, which violates Article III Section 11, Part B of the Election Policy.

The election commission issued a statement in response:

"This policy was provided to all candidates. These expense reports provide for candidate accountability, and the Election Commission has supported that end by upholding the policy."

Disqualified candidates will be allowed to run in the second election in May, but will not need to provide new petition forms. Candidate packets for the May election will be available in the SGA office in the University Union starting April 24 at noon.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools