By Amanda Ayers
News Editor
Sara Girmay ’14 was elected Bucknell Student Government (BSG) president alongside Dotun Odewale ’13 for Vice President of Operations, Mo Karam ’13 for Vice President of Finance and Clinton Kittrell ’14 for Vice President of Administration. The Executive Board election results were announced on Nov. 22.
It was required for each candidate to be enrolled at the University for at least two semesters in order to run for these positions. The candidates had to adhere to all campaign guidelines posed by BSG. Any student who wanted to run was encouraged to submit his or her name on a sign-up sheet posted in the ELC mailroom during the week of Nov. 7.
Before elections took place, each candidate attended two information sessions, a campaign guidelines meeting and participated in a formal debate/open forum in Walls Lounge. The candidates then campaigned until Nov. 21 when elections went live on myBucknell.
The current executive board placed heavy emphasis on advertising this year’s elections to ensure that students were informed. Abby Vidmer ’13, current vice president of administration, was particularly attentive in this process, as she is responsible for handling external relations for BSG. She aimed to reach students through several different outlets.
“In the end, she was critical in ensuring that the information was available to students through several outlets. We posted messages regularly on the Message Center, posted a slide on the LC Mall LCD screen, created cards for the table tents in the student hearth space and Bison, sent out a mass mailing, and sent one email to all students,” said Joey Martin, current BSG vice president of operations.
By the end of the sign-up week, three out of the four positions were contested. The candidates had a week to campaign and communicate their platforms to the student body. BSG hosted an hour-long open forum with the candidates so students could become better acquainted with them and what they stood for through a question and answer session.
“Election day occurred on Monday, Nov. 21 and the number of voters submitting ballots was significantly higher than in recent years. Overall, I am very pleased with how the process went and thank the student body for their participation,” Martin said.
Each position on the BSG Executive Board carries its own set of responsibilities. The overall purpose of BSG includes allocating funds to student organizations, representing students in all matters involving the general welfare of the University, and acting for matters that involve student interests.
These four newly elected members will officially start their term in the spring semester. They will work closely to carry out BSG’s vision of making the University the best higher education institution it can be.
“I’m fully confident that the new Executive Board members will be able to carry on with the hard work that the 2011 Executive Board has done, and also add some fresh perspectives and vitality into the organization. I look forward to seeing BSG grow more cohesive, more effective and truly representative of the student body. The current board has laid a strong foundation based on transparency and respect–-not only from students, but also from faculty, staff and administrators. I am pleased to see that this new board will lead Congress in a positive direction, bettering our campus and student life,” current BSG president Phil Kim said.