2008 Woodie Awards
Senate president election contested
Brenna McCabe and Justin Oswald
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: News
03/06/08 - A week after the election, the Student Senate presidency remains unresolved following a senate meeting dominated by personal attacks and a tense atmosphere.
Immediately after the polls closed last Thursday, the Elections Committee disqualified presidential candidate Josh Feinberg, charging him with breaking election rules by campaigning in the Memorial Union and posting unauthorized posters in the building.
Last night a bizarre mix of committee meetings and the full senate discussed the disqualification and a counter-complaint by Feinberg against opponent Thomas Ahrens.
Yesterday, Feinberg filed a complaint arguing that Ahrens should also be disqualified for having a campaign poster in the Student Entertainment Committee's Union office. The Elections Committee voted 2-3 not to disqualify Ahrens, sparking a heated debate during the full senate meeting.
Elections Committee Chairwoman Cristin Langworthy said she did not believe the posters in the SEC office were enough to disqualify either contender, but the gravity and quantity of Feinberg and running mate Eric Klos' violations during last week's elections warranted enough for disqualification. Committee members Maria Rice and Nicole Pelletier reflected her sentiments. In addition to the posters, the committee charged the pair or their supporters placed pens with their names at the election booth and supporters yelled, "vote for Feinberg" in the Union.
Yesterday, Feinberg maintained many of those actions were "out of my control" and said he believed hanging posters inside Union offices was permissible.
And Langworthy's rationale for voting to disqualify him did not sit well with Klos.
"Your rationale is inconsistent and it really bothers me," Klos said. "It's very frustrating to listen to some of those explanations and some of the rationale behind them."
Arguing that the consistency in rules must be maintained, Elections Committee members Ryan Battis and Audrey Ruskowski voted to disqualify Ahrens and running mate David Bedard, as well as Feinberg and Klos.
Immediately after the polls closed last Thursday, the Elections Committee disqualified presidential candidate Josh Feinberg, charging him with breaking election rules by campaigning in the Memorial Union and posting unauthorized posters in the building.
Last night a bizarre mix of committee meetings and the full senate discussed the disqualification and a counter-complaint by Feinberg against opponent Thomas Ahrens.
Yesterday, Feinberg filed a complaint arguing that Ahrens should also be disqualified for having a campaign poster in the Student Entertainment Committee's Union office. The Elections Committee voted 2-3 not to disqualify Ahrens, sparking a heated debate during the full senate meeting.
Elections Committee Chairwoman Cristin Langworthy said she did not believe the posters in the SEC office were enough to disqualify either contender, but the gravity and quantity of Feinberg and running mate Eric Klos' violations during last week's elections warranted enough for disqualification. Committee members Maria Rice and Nicole Pelletier reflected her sentiments. In addition to the posters, the committee charged the pair or their supporters placed pens with their names at the election booth and supporters yelled, "vote for Feinberg" in the Union.
Yesterday, Feinberg maintained many of those actions were "out of my control" and said he believed hanging posters inside Union offices was permissible.
And Langworthy's rationale for voting to disqualify him did not sit well with Klos.
"Your rationale is inconsistent and it really bothers me," Klos said. "It's very frustrating to listen to some of those explanations and some of the rationale behind them."
Arguing that the consistency in rules must be maintained, Elections Committee members Ryan Battis and Audrey Ruskowski voted to disqualify Ahrens and running mate David Bedard, as well as Feinberg and Klos.