SGA had their first Senate meeting with the new senators and class presidents this Tuesday after a competitive election week.
The most competition was in the sophomore class with 15 students running for a senator position. There was similar competition in the freshman class with six students running just for president.
Bekah Jones, SGA president and a senior double major in business finance and business marketing from San Antonio, said that there was more competition going into this years elections that last.
“Last year we had much less of a full senate and appointed way more, this year we will have way more coming into the actual election,” Jones said.
Unlike last year’s elections, candidates were able to hand out physical items to help promote their campaign. SGA also was able to have physical signatures on forms and more promotion to help the campaigns.
“We are turning back to a non COVID-19 year,” Jones said. “We were able to sustain all of the energy for the freshman class last year into the sophomore competition. As well, we had a full senate seat and a high number of votes.”
As the student body watched this years elections, the competition led to more engagement amongst students. More posters this year were hung as well as more campaigning around campus.
Boone Denton, SGA vice president, election chair and a senior double major in finance and accounting from Temple, said that the turn out was great even amongst the upperclassmen who were running.
“[Overall] in the junior class and senior class it is a low turnout however, the senior class has had a bigger turn out,” Denton said.
SGA will continue with the meetings with the newly elected candidates and start to to make plans to improve campus. With the high engagement of elections, the executive cabinet of SGA is looking forward to that same level of engagement moving forward.
“We are looking forward to working with a senate that is very engaged,” said Denton.“We wanted to emphasize competition, however I am just excited that there is more engagement in the senate and I think that will bring about change on campus.”
Freshman Results:
President: Alayne Denton, Vice President: Zola Feasel, Multicultural representative: Tre Lewis. Senators: Brooke Oliver, Caleb Shields, David Caire, Joseph Chapa, Krystal Meazell, Lexi Hotchkin, Lexi Waterhouse, MaKenna Einkauf, Meaghan Moya, Railey Holley
Sophomore Results:
President: Hayden Poorman, Vice President: Piyush Pathak, Multicultural Representative: Meeyah Davis, Senators: Aimen Nesru, Alli Dimmitt, Austin Petter, Callee Stephans, Darcy Stiefer, Elle Berry, Hannah Maniscalo, Luke Susud, Parker Carson, Reilly Davis
Junior Results:
President: Colton McCaleb, Vice President: Grant Hinshaw, Multicultural Representative: Kofi Forson, Senators: Grace Byee, Lily Jenkins, Lindsay Watson, MacKenzie Zody, Maelene Rosales, Matthew Dalzell, Preston Lynn, Travon Hardy
Senior Results:
President: Madison Morel, Vice President: Erica Fossey, Senators: Jarvis Mba, Audrey Helm, Ben Black, Demi Willis, Emma Barnhouse, Jack Henderson, Jane Tomlinson, Lillian Sell, Nicole Mallet, Shelby Panzer