Student Senate elections were held Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. “I would like to thank the students for not only taking a stand and deciding to do what they felt was in the students’ best interest,” said Senate Vice President Tamara Asad, “but also for making the effort to vote.”
Three people contested two Bryan Hall Representative positions and three people contested two Apartments/Alternative Housing Representative positions.
Jazmin Rumbaut and Zachary Smith ran for Bryan Hall, and won their election. Matthew Coffman and Joshua Brown won the Apartments/Alternative Housing Representative positions.
“They’re good guys,” said Apartments Residential Advisor and senior Ted Fetter, referring to Senators Brown and Coffman.
Jason Hidalgo, who ran for a Bryan Hall representative position in addition to Rumbaut and Smith, will fill the one that’s now being vacated by David Barron, who is stepping down. Barron is The Guilfordian’s Calendar Editor.
Asad, in charge of Senate elections in the fall, was decidedly pleased with the voter turnout of 130 people. “It was much better than I expected.”
According to Asad, concerned students who voiced criticism about the lack of elections at Senate meetings brought about the decision to have them. Referring to the Senate executive leadership, she went on to say that “we don’t make any decisions alone,” and that all Senate issues are decided using consensus.
Binford Hall has a sentor position available in addition to the two already filled by Switz Wigfall and Jai Dave.
Mary Hobbs and English are currently not represented.
Fetter voiced a concern about the future of Hobbs and English representation in Senate, wondering whether those halls will have the option in the future.
The Senate positions representing Mary Hobbs Hall and English Hall are open because no one has petitioned to fill them yet. Should someone decide to do so, the positions would then be filled.
Natalie Sept, a first-year art major living in Hobbs, commented on the importance of Senate. “I think it’s essential to the productivity of Guilford,” she said. “The lack of involvement is obviously an impediment to the beneficient things Senate can offer.”
Sept is considering the Hobbs Senate Representative position.
Brown, Coffman, Hidalgo, Rumbaut and Smith are the new Hall Representatives in Senate, chosen from Tuesday’s elections.
Chris Lett, Steven Wheeler, Ivan Mihailov and Bethany Stubbs will represent Milner Hall.
Stubbs had been previously selected for the academic student appointment, but chose to represent Milner Hall instead. Katie Abney, who had filled the other academic student appointment, stepped down.
Donald Flich and Hannah Winkler will now fill the academic senator appointments
“There are so many issues out there that we need the student body to take a stand against in order for us to make a change,” said Asad. “I would ask every student that has something to say, to please join us at the and bring the issues to the floor. It all starts with us, the student body