LC Meridian

Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: News

New CASA President Justin Simmons

We Make Lehman (WML) emerged as the victors in the hotly contested student government elections. Justin Simmons defeated Amanda Savinon for Campus Association for Student ACtivities (CASA) President by 266 points with a total of 890 votes. WML defeated Lehman Students United (LSU) for all other positions with at least a 200 vote margin. All candidates of the Student Senate were elected with Jason Jeremias leading the pack with a total of 1004 votes and Ayesha Lewis gaining the second highest with 915 votes. All members of WML were elected while only 2 members of LSU who ran unopposed won their seats.

The announcement came after delays due to reports of election violations by election workers, a candidate for the Student Senate and a LSU campaign volunteer. The election board, after conducting a public hearing held a closed door meeting to deliberate on the allegations, then delivered the news that the entire LSU slate had been disqualified. The Board reconvened, joined by representatives of both slates, the Meridian, and Director of Campus Life and Student Affairs Michael Sullivan, to deliver the election results to anxious supporters of WML, LSU and the Senate.

The public hearing which commenced at exactly 4:45 p.m. was filled to capacity by students in an unprecedented demonstration of interest in the electoral process. While the Election Board read the complaints, many students could be heard whispering among themselves expressing support for their candidates.

Three complaints, which were tabled from at least last Thursday, April 29 were addressed at the public hearing. One of the allegations was made against LSU for violation of campaign rules, resulting from the actions of Emily Gomez, a campaign volunteer who is also the twin sister of Katherine Gomez, LSU's candidate for Communications Officer.Ayesha Lewis photographed Emily Gomez as she was allegedly escorting a student to the voting area while holding campaign literature. Lewis' photograph was shown to the board as evidence and both sisters were asked to clarify which one of them was in fact in the photograph. Katherine confirmed that she was not in the photograph.

The Election Board ruled that this was in clear violation of Section 9.13 of the Election Code, which prohibits candidates or volunteers from campaigning in or close proximity to the restricted voting area. As such, the entire LSU slate was disqualified from the elections. The Board did not admit Lewis' photograph as evidence since presumably she was not supposed to have been in this area in the first place. Even so, the Board upheld its decision.

Continued...

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