Unofficial senate election results released

The unofficial Student Senate election results were announced at the senate meeting on Wednesday.

There were 19 candidates who ran in the election and were all elected, some for a consecutive time. 

There were 24 open senate seats at the beginning of the election. These 19 candidates had their fates decided by 297 votes that were cast in the online election on Monday and Tuesday. 

Each will be a senate member for a full, one-year term. The official results will be announced at the next senate meeting Wednesday. Each candidate will be seated unless there is a grievance filed on the candidate. 

Students could have voted for three of the candidates they wished would be a senate member in the online election. 

Yazmin Rodriguez and Hannah Edwards tied with 122 votes each, the most votes received in the election. 

The resolution, which would approve the budget expenses of $285 for the finals snacks refreshments to be handed out on Dec. 8 in Booth Library, was also passed unanimously. 

Kathryn English, the student vice president for academic affairs, said this was successful last year and they have learned from the last time, which will allow them to cut down on costs. She added this was a way, in which the senate can encourage students to study. 

An emergency resolution, which would approve the budget expenses of $131 for the Ugly Sweater RSO Winter Mixer, was also proposed, voted on and passed at the meeting. 

The mixer will take place on Dec. 3. Darnell Tymes, the student vice president for Student Affairs, said the mixer would hopefully produce more interest in the Student Organization Cabinet, which has recently had more registered student organization member attendance at their meetings. 

Amie Hansen, a sophomore special education major, and Reggie Thedford, a junior political science major, both presented updates on the Blue Cru or Blue Crew, which they are currently trying to revitalize.  

They have not figured out whether the name should be crew or cru. Thedford said they thought of cru because it was more fun than crew. 

The Blue Crew, formerly the Panther Nation, is a cheer group that was started a couple of years ago but pattered out. They even had a Panther Nation application on the Apple App Store. Thedford said the app is now offline. 

Hansen said unlike the past version of the Blue Crew, they would try to go to every sporting event to support each team. 

They are still figuring out how they plan to pay for the T-shirts and other school spirit memorabilia they plan to give out to members. They may have a membership fee of $10, gain money through fundraising or might gain sponsors, such as Panther Athletics. 

“What student does not want to take pride in the school they go to,” Thedford said.  

A meeting will take place at 8 p.m. Monday in the Casey Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union to decide the name of the cheer group and review other aspects of the group. 

Jarad Jarmon can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].