In a 695-391 vote announced Tuesday, Katie Hill of the P.R.I.D.E. Party beat Maria Montero of the C.O.S.T.U.M.E. Party in the Student Government Association (SGA) presidential election for the 2014-15 school year.
“I was anxious because both Maria and I are close friends and we’re also very good competitors and we’re also very involved on campus,” Hill explained. “So I was very surprised and I was so excited.”
Current SGA President Buddy Clements was satisfied with the results of the election.
“I think that Katie Hill is going to do a wonderful job” Clements said. “I think that Maria would have been a wonderful candidate as well. I have a lot of hope for next year’s Student Government Association to do great things and I believe they will.”
“[Hill is] very personable,” Clements added. “She was the president of Green and White Society so she already has a lot of experience coming into the position. She knows how to run a group. She already knows a lot of individuals in the university.”
The other candidates that were elected include Vice President of Student Affairs Vanessa Dufford, Vice President of Financial Affairs Baylee Childress, Vice President of Internal Affairs John Coulter and Vice President of Campus Outreach Anthony Plumberg.
Residence Hall Senators include Emily Murasso for Building A, Aimee Albright for Building B, Jaclynn Chomavfor Watson Hall, Jessica Johnson for Building D, Lainna Garrow for Building E, Sophia Sarver for Building F, and Casey Squires was elected as the ROCK Apartments senator.
The vote to decide the North Hall senator was tied between Caleb Martin and Logan Steigerwalt. The Rhoads Hall senator vote was tied between Jackie Bursic, Jaymie Macek, Jordan Bingman, Ben Ways, Carl Peter Izzo III, Bryce Groh, and Alexander Durhar, with each candidate receiving one vote. Run-off elections will be held at a later date
Ryan Morgado and Melissa Lourie won positions as graduate senators. The elected commuter senators include Daniel Gladis, Jeff Locke, Alex Wenrich, Dave Miller, Kaci Vandergrift, Mel Seymour, Shannon Pitcairn, Breanna Bayer, Megan Burr, Jessica Horgos, Amber Kennedy, Steven Zamborsky, Cody Moody, Alex Nietert, Tatiana Bone.
“The group is going to be good,” Clements said. “The president is only as good as their senators, and I think they’re going to do a good job.”
Hill also expressed her satisfaction with the senators who were elected.
“I am super excited about the group of senators that were elected and the group that I get to work with. I feel like we’re going to be really great for this campus. We have a lot of great ideas and I’m really excited to see what we’re going to do. I keep saying the word ‘excited’ because I just can’t wait to get started.”
