Show Student l Election Y Turmoil Turl By Suzanne Houghton Campus Editor Walking across campus some students might have just jus seen the campaigning material but never really understood the process behind the votes Elections have been known to bea be bea a stressful experience and as has occurred in years past brought out allegations in the process While posters were being hung and debates taking place some started to question the system system system tem behind the process in hope to make this years year's elections come across without the common common common com com- mon problems In the weeks leading up to the elections Stacee Adams who was a member of the Elections Committee took those concerns to Director of Student Life and Leadership Gordon Wilson in a two-page two letter In her letter Adams wrote I am writing this letter with great disappointment that it was necessary to do so I have come across some information both spoken and observed that leads me to believe that these elections were tainted Adams wrote her letter in hopes to improve the system and make the election rules clearer While it might appear a simple process candidates discovered there are many rules and regulations regulations regulations regula regula- s set t up in jn order to hold a successful election Putting together a campaign can take a lot of time and effort Students were only given a certain certain certain tain amount of time to publicize their campaign According to the 2003 Election Rules Students may announce their candidacy for an Executive Position after February Februarys 3 Only after then can students announce they are run run- ning In her letter Adams stated The first incidence of favoritism bias by Mr Wilson occurred when he took candidate Claudia Gutierrez to a club meeting and announced her candidacy candidacy candidacy can can- before active campaigning campaign campaign- ing began This is a violation of Section 1 rule 14 Wilson was aware of the situation situation situation sit sit- however he referred to Gutierrez in a meeting she was already attending In the meeting Wilson was trying to encourage individuals to run for office I said to them in my excitement excitement excitement excite excite- ment for this Well Claudia stepped up to the plate and she is running for office That is exciting exciting exciting ing she is getting involved We need you to too said Wilson Without other parties running running running run run- ning there wouldn't have been a away away away way for the elections to occur At the beginning of Winter Semester with only in the running Wilson felt the elections couldn't occur successfully We cant can't run the elections with one party I told the staff and Executive Council if we dont don't have at least two parties running we will stop the election and go out and find people to run We cant can't let one party run nIts n. n Its It's not healthy and its it's not good said Wilson With campaigning occurring occurring occurring occur occur- ring all over the campus members members members mem mem- bers of the party decided to be a little different with some of their material As a result it appeared partial permission had been granted by Wilson Adams stated in her letter The second incidence occurred when he Wilson gave permission permission permission sion to the party to post campaign to folds tri in the student academic computing areas on campus which gave them a monopoly of all student computers ers Wilson states he didn't give special permission for to display campaign tri-folds tri in the computer labs Lab coordinators contacted Wilson in order to confirm materials could be placed on the computers and Wilson commented it was up to the lab coordinators to approve if campaigning material could be displayed in their lab Adams states she didn't write her letter with the intent of tainting this years year's elections She observed some situations she felt needed to be resolved to improve the election process The letter was meant to be bea a catalyst However when you talk to people about problems inthe in inthe inthe the office things dont don't get done There needed to be some outside pressure especially from the stu stu- stu- stu dents I 1 think they need to be informed said Adams Elections in the past have been known to have some problems problems problems lems but they have also been known to bring positive situa situa- During Spring Break Adams and Wilson met to review the problems from this year rear in hopes to improve the rules ales and change them for next year While students might think it is a simple counting process to discover our officials recent events have shown it takes a lot lotmore lotmore lotmore more to run |