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Votes

Election preparations begin

Freshmen start campaigning for seats on Student Senate

By Erin Sommer

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Students walking to class may see new names chalked across campus this morning.

Freshmen elections officially began Monday night after an orientation meeting was held at the Kansas Union. After the meeting, freshmen were allowed to begin making posters, handing out fliers and chalking for their campaign.

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Photo by Jessie Fetterling

Katy Clagett, Colorado Springs freshman, and Michael Wade Smith, Goodland freshman, chalk for freshman elections in front of the Kansas Union Monday evening. Clagett and Smith are running for seats in the freshman Senate. There are five seats available. Monday’s freshman election orientation meeting marked the official start of freshman elections.

Michael Wade Smith, Goodland freshman, started chalking outside the Kansas Union immediately after the meeting ended.

He said he was vice president of his high school student council and wanted to bring his leadership to the University.

“I want to hear the opinions of the freshmen class and work to represent them,” Smith said.

Smith is one of the 26 freshmen running for the five freshmen seats on Student Senate.

Libby Johnson, Lawrence freshman, said she was running for Student Senate in order to pursue issues such as providing wireless Internet in residence halls and to support campus student groups.

“I was involved in student council in high school,” Johnson said. “I’d like to be involved on campus.”

Johnson said she would be making posters and chalking to support her candidacy.

The orientation informed freshmen running for Student Senate of the election rules, which include not campaigning in University classes and not tampering with other candidates’ campaign materials.

Hannah Love, Dodge City senior and student body president, and Ray Wittlinger, Olathe senior and student body vice president, also attended the meeting to offer advice to the freshmen.

Wittlinger told the freshmen that they could still be involved in Student Senate even if they did not win a seat.

He said that he didn’t win a seat his freshman year, but was able to be involved in Student Senate by joining a Senate committee. Freshmen can also fill in replacement seats in Senate throughout the year.

Adam McGongigle, Wichita sophomore and chairman of the Student Senate Executive Committee, serves as the election commissioner for freshmen senate elections.

He said seven fewer freshmen signed up to run for Student Senate this year, compared with last year when 33 freshmen campaigned.

“I’m really excited about the group of people that are running,” McGonigle said. “They seem ready to campaign and be active in Student Senate.”

Freshmen can vote for Student Senate representatives from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sept. 4 and from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 5 on the University Web site. Results for the election will be announced at 6 p.m on Sept. 5. in the Centennial Room in the Kansas Union.

— Edited by Elizabeth Cattell

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