Monday, April 9, 2007
The big winner in last year’s Student Senate elections won’t be on the ballot when voting begins later this week.
In early January, the Ignite coalition pulled out of Student Senate elections and dissolved completely after the United Students coalition formed without Ignite’s knowledge.
Four members were nominated for both the president and vice presidential spots last November. The remaining members of the coalition voted for who they thought would best represent their party in April. Austin Kelly, Lawrence junior, won the nomination for vice president. Hannah Love, Dodge City, junior and Adam Hurly, Sioux Falls, S.D., sophomore, tied for the presidential nomination.
After another vote between Hurly and Love, Hurly received Ignite’s nomination.
But, behind the scenes, there was talk of forming a new coalition.
Hurly thought the talk of a new coalition would just blow over.
“I thought the coalition was behind me,” Hurly said. “I thought I had everyone’s support.”
Love said she and Wittlinger began talks of forming a new coalition before the nomination process even began. The formation process gained steam after Ignite’s nominations.
pullquote
People said it wasn’t personal, but friendships were being sacrificed and people were being tugged between the two coalitions.
-Adam Hurly, Sioux Falls, S.D. sophomore
“We weren’t happy with the way the coalition was going,” Love said. “We knew something was going to have to change.”
Love and Wittlinger said they formed the coalition as a way to better represent the student body and as a way to balance what they believed to be Ignite’s one-sidedness.
“They weren’t willing to represent all people, including the greeks,” said Love, the coalition’s presidential nominee.
Hurly, who is not a greek, said that some people in the coalition felt that an election could not be won without a greek member or a woman on the ballot.
“There are 50 other seats to be filled in Senate,” Hurly said. “There are a lot positions that can be filled for representation.”
Nolan T. Jones, a founding member of Ignite and Pittsburg senior, said a myth surrounding recent Senate coalitions said that a coalition had to have a male and female and a greek and a non-greek as its top nominees. Ignite met neither of those elements.
Ashley Bloom, Hutchinson junior and former Ignite member, said it was awful to see the coalition built on the group’s ideals be torn apart.
“It was a slap in the face to all that worked together the year before to form the coalition,” Bloom said.
During the nominations process, Jones asked the nominees which was more important — victory or ideals — in a one word answer.
“Only two answered ideals,” Jones said. “That was Adam Hurly and Austin Kelly.”
Members from Ignite went in three directions. Some went on to support Delta Force, others joined United Students and the rest dropped out of Senate all together.
Hurly said his decision to ultimately bow out of the election came because it wasn’t a game he was willing to play.
“People said it wasn’t personal, but friendships were being sacrificed and people were being tugged between the two coalitions,” he said.
Hurly wants to remind students to put their vote behind the group they feel has the potential to affect campus through effective leadership.
Elections begin Wednesday between United Students, Delta Force and Students’ Rights.
Kansan staff writer Ashlee Kieler can be contacted at akieler@kansan.com.
— Edited by Ryan Schneider
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Comments
Party dissolution burns bridges
I'm just pleased that the United Students candidates decided it was more important to have solid candidates than to have party unity.
There's something to be said for that.
Party dissolution burns bridges
Nolan T. Jones didn't even support Ignite during the last election. Founding Member my ass.
Party dissolution burns bridges
All of the negative campaigning from former Ignite people and Delta Force really makes me like United Students even more.
Party dissolution burns bridges
Nolan worked really hard to defeat the Hundred Dollar Fee cut last year...that is why he was not on the ballot, and yes he was a founding member. I am really glad that this article was printed. From someone who was affected by this situation I really appriciate that there is some publicity on this. Good Luck to everyone who is running in the elections this week...may the best candidates win!
Party dissolution burns bridges
I was a founding member of Ignite. I think I would know who the others were.
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