Thursday, February 5, 2009
Student Senate coalitions have announced their presidential and vice presidential nominations as they gear up for spring elections, but some things haven’t changed from previous years. Namely, the presence of multiple greek candidates.
During the last five Senate elections, including this year’s race, only two of the major coalitions have run without a greek candidate for either president or vice president. Delta Force ran once in 2006 and again in 2007 without a greek presidential or vice presidential pick. They lost both elections.
So what does it take to win a Student Senate election?
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Student Senate Election History
2009
United Students
Mason Heilman — Not greek
May Davis — Alpha Chi Omega
Envision
Alex Porte — Tau Kappa Epsilon
JJ Siler — Beta Theta Pi
Students of Liberty
Adam Wood – Not greek
2008
United Students 49%
Adam McGonigle — Not greek
Michael Gillaspie — Sigma Phi Epsilon
ConnectKU 44%
Austin Kelly — Not greek
Jason Oruch — Alpha Epsilon Pi
Students of Liberty 7%
Adam Wood — Not greek
Eric Hyde — Not greek
2007
United Students 51%
Hannah Love — Not greek
Ray Wittlinger — Theta Chi
Delta Force 40%
John Cross — Not greek
Liz Stuewe — Not greek (replaced Ryan Rowan when he had to drop out of the race, who was a member of Phi Beta Sigma)
2006
Ignite 53%
Jason Boots — Not greek
Melissa Horen — Alpha Gamma Delta
Delta Force 40%
Studie Red Corn — Not greek
Bridget Franklin — Not greek
2005
KUnited 55%
Nick Sterner — Not greek
Marynell Jones — Kappa Alpha Theta
Delta Force 36%
Elaine Jardon — Alpha Chi Omega
Stephanie Craig — Alpha Gamma Delta
IT'S ALL POLITICAL
During the past two years the nation has watched Barack Obama go from senator to president of the United States. His campaign was revolutionary in many ways. But in the end, it boiled down to the same principles that have been guiding politics for decades: It was about winning.
Those same principles that govern national elections have been at play in campus politics for just as long.
“All elections are the same,” said Mark Joslyn, associate professor of political science. “It’s a matter of looking at voters and what they want and what they need and making yourself look like them.”
Joslyn said Student Senate’s tendency to pick greek candidates to run for the top spots mirrored national elections and the need to appeal to an important constituency of voters.
“Usually the president’s vice president choice is strategic in terms of attracting demographics,” Joslyn said. “They all try to balance the ticket in an ideological and in a practical sense.”
In the ideological sense, Joslyn said, a president would look for someone who balanced out his political strengths and weaknesses. For instance, President Obama chose Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential pick because of his years of experience in national politics and foreign affairs. But Joslyn said another important factor was practicality — candidates needed to appeal to a wide range of voters.
THE GREEK COMMUNITY
The greek community, which comprises 14 percent of the student body, can be a big player in Student Senate. More than 3,500 students are involved in greek organizations.
J.J. Siler, Overland Park junior and Envsion’s student body president candidate, said coalitions tended to campaign heavily to the greek community because greeks consistently turned out to vote every year. Siler said connections to houses and suggestions from fellow house members might help motivate members of the greek community to vote more often.
“It often comes down to where you have connections,” Siler said. “I’ve been involved in the greek community during my time here, so definitely I’ll campaign to them a little bit harder.”
Michael Gillaspie, Ashland senior and student body vice president who ran with United Students, said that United Students generally ran with a greek student on the ticket because of a continuous partnership that had developed over the years.
“Coalitions try to emulate other coalitions that have won in the past,” Gillaspie said. “So if you’ve been representing the greek community for the past 30 or however many years and there’s a continued succession of winning the elections, it might make sense to try it.”
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR STUDENTS?
Voter turnout in Senate elections is infamously low. In fact, there has yet to be an election in which voter turnout exceeds 20 percent. During the past five years, turnout has ranged between 13 and 16 percent. Last year’s turnout was 14.5 percent.
“I don’t think there’s an organization like Senate anywhere else in the world, where people give you $400 and don’t care what happens to it,” Siler said.
Adam McGonigle, Wichita junior and student body president, said he didn’t feel one constituency was being overrepresented on campus. He said the best way for students to have their voices heard was to vote and to ask their candidates to provide them with solid ideas and platforms.
“I think students should expect ideas and plans from their candidates,” McGonigle said. “I think they should expect a lot of specifics in those plans. But above all, they should demand honesty and integrity in the campaign.”
— Edited by Carly Halvorson
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Comments
Student Senate stays greek
When did this happen?
Student Senate stays greek
2005 Student Voice Dennis Chanay - Phi Kappa Tau Sara Garlick - Sigma Kappa (expelled prior to campaign)
2006 $100 fee cut Dennis Chanay - not greek Johnathan Wilson - Delta Tau Delta
2007 Student's Rights Johnathan Wilson - DTD Caitlin Ballard - not greek
Student Senate stays greek
Just like when you don't win, you lose?
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