On March 28, the Senate Executive Council ticket of juniors Vital Akimana, Irving Zavaleta-Jimenez, Brennan Aberle, and Liz Reilley was announced as the winner of the Guilford Community Senate race, defeating the opposing ticket of Malcolm Kenton, Johanna Breed, Evan Drahzal Gasster and Kieron James. Of the 407 ballots cast on March 27, the winning ticket received 331 votes – winning with 81 percent of the vote.
“I congratulate Vital, and I agree with the bulk of his platform,” said defeated presidential candidate Kenton.
“We are very excited that the students of Guilford College chose us as their next Senate executives,” said Secretary-Elect Reilley. “We have already begun preparing for next year.”
Consisting of six interrelated concepts, ranging from community building to empowering the student body, Akimana’s platform rested on the premise of improving relations and efficiency between students, Senate and the administration.
“We are angry about the current state of the Guilford College community,” said a campaign platform pamphlet. “It’s time to let the administration know that we can elect a ticket who will take a firm position on making sure students’ voices are heard and represented.”
The pamphlet outlined the winning ticket’s frustrations with perceptions of Senate as a source of money and nothing else. It outlined the candidates’ platform and defined their plans for changing Senate.
“This campaign is about creating ways for Senate to be able to better hear and represent ALL student voices,” said the campaign document. “We would like Senate to support students’ ideas and policy changes as opposed to simply backing monetary proposals.”
The pamphlet continues by stating dedication to the addressing of student concerns and being open to innovation.
“We are committed to seeking out and addressing any and all of your ideas that you want Senate to handle,” said the platform document.
“I’m going to take this straight from the Senate Web site; I’d like for us to be the voice of the student body, for real,” said Treasurer-Elect Aberle.
“Basically, we want to be visible,” said Vice President-Elect Zavaleta-Jimenez of the group’s intention to stay actively involved in the Guilford community through open dialogue and other methods of communication.
“Communication in Senate is a two-way street,” said Reilley. “We are creating as many mediums as possible to do that communicating.”
These mediums of communication include a TV in Founders lobby that will run information and updates via The Buzz and e-mail.
The new senators are encouraging student input.
“An important point to note is that students are more likely to be involved in something they feel like they built, that they had a part in shaping,” said Aberle.
A comment box, monthly polls on policy issues and actual first-person interaction with possible designated “Senate lunch days,” where officers will be available in the cafeteria, will all offer opportunities for students to connect with senators and officers.
Their platform demanded accountability from both Senate itself and the Guilford College administration.
“We want Senate to be constructively critical of Guilford College’s administration, strategic long range plan, mission statement, its commitment to core values, and its policies,” said the campaign pamphlet.
The candidates also demanded that the administration be held responsible for “every decree they pass during exam weeks.”
“We need to show the administration what students really want, and they need to listen,” said Akimana. “We need to hold them accountable, because we are doing our part; they should to theirs.”
“We’re taking where they (the current Senate) left off and moving forward, definitely building off of them,” said Zavaleta-Jimenez.