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Thursday, March 1, 2012 11:56 p.m.

Narla nabs Student Association top spot in runoff

by Sarah Ferris

Supporters of Ashwin Narla jumped from their seats when his name was announced for the position of Student Association president Thursday night. Michelle Rattinger | Senior Photo Editor

Ashwin Narla edged ahead of John Bennett for the title of Student Association president in a runoff  Thursday night, carrying 53 percent of the student vote.

Dozens of Narla supporters erupted into cheers as their candidate’s name was announced after a two-day vote drive, chanting and pumping their fists.

“This is only the beginning,” Narla said, after a crowd charged toward him for congratulatory hugs and high-fives.

“I’m not saying that I can change the whole school, but I want to make small changes that will make a difference,” the junior said.

Throughout the campaign season, Narla promised to step up the SA’s outreach to students, create a student organization calendar and eliminate classroom technology fees.

Ashwin Narla embraced John Bennett, congratulating him on a "clean campaign," shortly after the Joint Elections Committee announced the runoff results. Zach Krahmer | Hatchet Photographer

More than 100 students packed a lecture room in Funger Hall, waiting about 30 minutes for the Joint Elections Committee to tally the votes after polls closed at 9 p.m.

The election marks the second-straight year that an SA outsider beat out a finance committee chair for the presidency. Narla received 2,331 votes, while Bennett received 2,054 votes.

The JEC originally reported 57 percent of the vote went to Narla, but the organization’s chair, Phil Gardner, corrected the totals with The Hatchet about an hour after the announcement was made. He said the discrepancy was due to a miscalculation of the percentages, and added he is 100 percent sure the new figures are accurate.

“The vote totals weren’t wrong. It was just our calculations of those votes that were wrong,” Gardner said.

Narla came in second to Bennett during last week’s general election. Bennett earned about 130 votes more than Narla, but did not reach the 40 percent threshold needed to secure the post, forcing a runoff.

The JEC also announced that Michael Naple captured the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences graduate senator seat and Michael Komo won the College of Professional Studies senator spot.

Hatchet reporter Kaya Yurieff contributed to this report.

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Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 11:47 a.m.

Campaigners charge the Marvin Center for early morning postering

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Kaya Yurieff.

A stampede of students clutching rolls of duct tape and fistfuls of flyers charged the Marvin Center Wednesday morning, clamoring for the campus’ most coveted wall space.

Student Association campaign volunteers and candidates swarmed Kogan Plaza as early as 6:30 a.m. for the annual tradition that jolts GW into election mode.

Phil Gardner, chair of the Joint Elections Committee, fired up the bundled-up crowd as they stretched their legs and got into running stances.

“Four, three, two, ONE!” Gardner shouted as the candidates and supporters trampled each other on the short strip separating them from prime postering terrain.

“It’s pure chaos, I’ll say that much,” Kirk Wilson, treasurer of the JEC, said as he watched over the action.

Freshman Michael Morgan, running for an Elliott School of International Affairs senator spot, said he had a “blast” and can’t wait for elections.

SA elections will be held Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011 10:01 a.m.

SA runoff election ballot to include vote on new instant runoff voting system

by Jamie Blynn

An amendment to change the way students vote for Student Association president and executive vice president will go before the student body for a vote Wednesday and Thursday during the SA runoff election.

If passed, the amendment would allow the Senate to create an instant runoff voting system for next year’s elections.

The system would prevent SA elections from going to a separate runoff vote by allowing voters to rank multiple candidates running for office according to preference. If no candidate received the required 40 percent of the vote to win, computer software would eliminate the candidate in last place. The last place candidate’s votes would then be distributed to their supporters’ second choice which they marked on their ballots.

“Combining runoff with the general election saves time,” said former SA Sen. Phil Gardner, who ran for SA president on a platform to abolish the SA.

Gardner added that because the events are separate, voter turnout tends to be lower for the runoff.

“[The IRV system] allows more voters to participate in the runoff,” Gardner said. “Turnout drops significantly from the general election to the runoff election under the current system.”

The SA Senate first passed a bill, sponsored by then-Sen. Gardner, in favor of the Instant Runoff Voting system last year, with the stipulation that the student body vote on it during this year’s election. Although it was left off the ballot during the general election earlier this month, Joint Elections Committee Chair Galen Petruso confirmed it will be on the ballot during the runoff.

Petruso said the JEC was not notified of the amendment until the day of the general election.

“[The amendment] will be added to the runoff election [ballot] to be voted on,” Petruso said. “No one from the senate notified us about it until the day of elections.”

Marvin Center Governing Board and Sen. Dylan Pyne, CCAS-U, informed the JEC of the missing amendment on the ballot.

“I was under the expectation that it would be in the ballot, but when I opened up my ballot to vote it was not there.  I felt passionate enough to inform them,” Pyne said, noting that it was most likely a mistake.  ”I would not say that [it was forgotten] because of the turnover, but it not being there was in no way malicious.”

Runoff elections will be held March 23 and 24.

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Friday, March 11, 2011 7:07 p.m.

Clark, Costigan face potential removal from runoff ballot

by Jamie Blynn

Student Association presidential candidate Chris Clark and executive vice presidential candidate Ted Costigan each face enough campaign violations to potentially remove them from the runoff election ballot, a member of the Joint Elections Committee said Friday.

The JEC found probable cause on eight complaints made against Clark and on four against Costigan, in addition to four other complaints the JEC validated against Costigan Wednesday.

JEC Vice Chair Hardy Farrow said Clark’s violations stem from campaign poster infractions and sending unsolicited e-mails. Costigan’s are related to posters, “disrupting University functions and distributing campaign material inside a University building,” Farrow said.

It takes six penalties to be removed from the ballot. Penalties are assessed based on the number of violations a candidate is convicted of.

Both candidates already received violations Tuesday for postering on the walls adjacent to the entrance of Ross Hall.  Clark received two and Costigan received one, based on the number of posters hanging on the building’s walls.

Clark is set to face off against presidential candidate John Richardson in the runoff, and Costigan is pitted against Amanda Galonek after Thursday’s election results. JEC Chair Galen Petruso said the committee has yet to determine what will happen if either candidate is removed from the ballot. He said the runoff would likely be delayed and the next runner-up would be added to the ballot.

Kwasi Agyeman came in third in the presidential race and Samantha Free came in third in the EVP race.

Newly-elected SA School of Business Sen. Nick Koeniger will also be tried for two violations and Elliott School of International Affairs Sen. Elizabeth Kennedy will be tried for one.

The runoff elections are scheduled for March 23 and 24.

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Friday, March 11, 2011 4:13 p.m.

JEC releases full list of election winners

by Madeleine Morgenstern

The Joint Elections Committee released the full list of Student Association, Program Board, Marvin Center Governing Board and Class Council winners after Thursday’s elections.

Runoff elections for SA president and executive vice president will be held March 23 and 24.

The full list of winners is below:

Student Association President

  1. Chris Clark – 1,107 votes – 26.53 percent
  2. John Richardson – 1,044 votes – 25.02 percent (will proceed to runoff)
  3. Kwasi Agyeman – 695 votes – 16.65 percent
  4. Caleb Raymond – 472 votes – 11.32 percent
  5. Phil Gardner – 304 votes – 7.28 percent
  6. Jason Kaplan – 301 votes – 7.21 percent
  7. Joshua Benjamin – 250 votes – 5.99 percent

Student Association Executive Vice President

  1. Ted Costigan – 1,317 votes – 32.53 percent
  2. Amanda Galonek – 1,074 votes – 26.53 percent (will proceed to runoff)
  3. Samantha Free – 757 votes -18.70 percent
  4. Aria Varasteh – 642 votes – 15.86 percent
  5. Zahin Hasan – 254 votes – 6.40 percent

Student Association Undergraduate-At Large Senator – two seats

  1. John Bennett – 1,535 votes
  2. Cory Grever – 1,485 votes
  3. Keaghan Ames – 1,370 votes
  4. Zach Kahn – 809 votes

Student Association CCAS Undergraduate Senator – six seats

  1. Josh Goldstein – 861 votes
  2. Samuel Sherman – 780 votes
  3. Scott Backer – 773 votes
  4. Kaitlin Gaughran – 766 votes
  5. Danica Brown – 730 votes
  6. Eric Arpert – 693 votes
  7. Daniel Bassali – 630 votes
  8. Jonathan Carfagno – 626 votes
  9. Gordon Pera – 567 votes
  10. Daniel Ceisler – 543 votes

Student Association ESIA Undergraduate Senator – three seats

  1. Elizabeth Kennedy – 332 votes
  2. Elena Gillis – 321 votes
  3. Manuel Iglesias – 249 votes
  4. Nathaniel Austin – 230 votes
  5. Garrett Graham – 173 votes
  6. Mateo Garcia – 164 votes
  7. Jason Gamache – 161 votes
  8. Patrick Cero – 111 votes

Student Association SEAS Undergraduate Senator – one seat

  1. Dan Gil – 122 votes
  2. Amitava Paul – 66 votes

Student Association SOB Undergraduate Senator – two seats

  1. Nick Koeniger – 213 votes
  2. Russell Feldman – 205 votes
  3. Michael Buss – 197 votes
  4. Hugo Scheckter – 163 votes

Student Association SMHS Undergraduate Senator – one write-in

  1. Sahand Yaqoub Moradi

Student Association CPS Undergraduate Senator – one write-in

  1. vacant

Student Association SPHHS Undergraduate Senator – one seat

  1. Alexander Mizenko

Student Association Graduate-At Large Senator – two seats

  1. James Bonneau
  2. Liz Barnes – write-in

Student Association CCAS Graduate Senator – three seats

  1. Bradley Dlatt
  2. Gary Wong – write-in
  3. Three-way tie between Brian Cahill, Joshua Patchus, Matthew Gripp - write-in

Student Association ESIA Graduate Senator – one seat

  1. Patrick Hanley

Student Association Law School Senator – three seats

  1. Jake Chervinsky
  2. Meredith Dempsey
  3. Katie Ondeck – write-in

Student Association SMHS Graduate Senator – two seats

  1. Robert Kickish
  2. Jordan Werner – write-in

Student Association SEAS Graduate Senator – two seats

  1. William Rone
  2. Three-way tie between Gabriel Yessin, Steve Holt, J.P. Blackford - write in

Student Association SOB Graduate Senator – two seats

  1. Jason Platzman
  2. Kendra Singh

Student Association CPS Graduate Senator – one write-in

  1. Brian Hawthorne

Student Association School of Nursing Senator – one write-in seat

  1. vacant

Program Board Executive Chair

  1. Connor Currier

Program Board Executive Vice Chair

  1. Megan Davidson

Marvin Center Governing Board – Undergraduate – four seats

  1. Jordan Hill
  2. Dylan Pyne
  3. Edwin Wharton
  4. Joong Hyup Lee

Marvin Center Governing Board – Graduate – one write-in

  1. Gary Wong

Class Council – sophomore – seven seats

  1. Mary Devlin
  2. Khadija Lalani
  3. Five appointed seats

Class Council – junior – seven seats

  1. Arsalan Ahmad
  2. Brett Rudman
  3. Five appointed seats

Class Council – senior – seven seats

  1. Estee Gabel
  2. Christopher Stevenson
  3. Five appointed seats
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011 10:27 a.m.

JEC announces location for election results

by Jamie Blynn

The Joint Elections Committee will announce the results of the Student Association, Marvin Center Governing Board, Class Council and Program Board elections in the Marvin Center Continental Ballroom Thursday.

In previous years, the JEC made these announcements in the Marvin Center’s Columbian Square.

Polls are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

If no candidate receives more than 40 percent of the vote for a specific seat, runoff elections will be held March 23 and 24.

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Saturday, March 5, 2011 2:19 p.m.

SA candidates frustrated with removal of campaign posters at the Marvin Center

by Jamie Blynn

After sprinting across H Street at 7 a.m. Friday to place their campaign posters on one of the most visible spots on campus, Student Association candidates found several of their posters are no longer hanging on the brick facade at the Marvin Center.

SA candidates expressed their discontent with the posters’ removal, saying candidates and their supporters spent their time and money on the posters that were removed.

Joint Elections Committee chair Galen Petruso said the committee is working to solve the problem. Several students who saw the posters being removed said they believed they were taken down by Marvin Center staff.

“Currently it’s not known why the posters were removed,” Petruso said.

Keaghan Ames, who is running for an Undergraduate-At Large senate seat, said he was upset to see the posters he and his friends woke up at 6 a.m. to hang taken down.

“Candidates put so much time and effort into the event and it’s now just a waste,” Ames said. “And now, it’s an unfair advantage because people can now go and put their posters up there after we fought for those influential places.”

Petruso said his best advice to candidates whose posters were removed is to put them back up.

“While it is unfortunate, there is nothing that can be done,  the best advice is for candidates to rehang posters in the open spots,” Petruso said.

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Friday, March 4, 2011 10:23 a.m.

Student Association candidates poster campus

by Jamie Blynn

Candidates and supporters braved the early-morning cold Friday to stakeout premier real estate for their campaign posters. Jordan Emont | Contrbuting Photo Editor

Joint Elections Committee chair Galen Petruso had just one question for the 100-or-so Student Association candidates and supporters eagerly waiting in Kogan Plaza Friday morning:

“Are you ready?,” he roared into his megaphone.

With those words, and Petruso’s 7 a.m. alarm, the herd of students sprinted across H Street, determined to find the premier real estate for their campaign posters at the Marvin Center and University Yard.

“You have to run fast, you have to put up a lot of posters and you need to create space,” a candidate for a seat in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences’ senate seats and 3-year postering veteran Josh Goldstein said.

Prepared for the fight, several students dressed in athletic shorts and sneakers, with sweatshirts and jackets as their only defense against 30 degree temperatures. Looking for a split-second of an edge, many of the candidates devised plans before daybreak Friday.

“I have the most aggressive [people] running straight up to the Marvin Center, and cross-country runners going over to U-Yard,” executive vice presidential candidate Amanda Galonek said.

U-at large candidate John Bennett jokingly stretched with his team, not wanting to “pull a muscle halfway between [Kogan] and the Marvin Center.”

“Just out run everyone in the first 3 seconds,” Bennett said of his strategy, hoping his broken phone was not a sign of bad “karma” for his team.

Students had covered the walls in sleek posters within minutes of reaching the Marvin Center but continued to tape and re-tape to prevent D.C.’s high-powered wind from blowing away their work.

Fighting for the best spots, students wrestled and shoved to block out opponents.  Students hoisted each other in the air and stole chairs from J Street to reach the higher spots.

When students had finally caught their breath, and the tape-throwing subsided, the building’s brick walls had been swept over in bright posters with even bolder names.

DJ Sigworth, sophomore campaigning for executive vice president candidate Amanda Galonek, taped posters to the Marvin Center Friday. Michelle Rattinger | Photo Editor

While U-At Large candidate Cory Grever’s orange posters vibrantly stood out from the rest, it was presidential candidate Chris Clark’s team of 30-or-so friends that dominated the scene.

Coming prepared with smaller posters taped together to form larger sheets, Clark’s strategy was to cover “every spot imaginable” and by 7:30 a.m., his glossy blue posters largely covered the Marvin Center.

“This is my favorite SA tradition,” Clark said.  “It’s the satisfaction of running up and getting the best spots on campus.”

Freshman Elizabeth Kennedy, running for Elliott School of International Affairs senator, said it was unfair to make friends come to a “ridiculous event.”

“It should not be about the posters you have.  People are too concerned about their posters and not enough with their campaigns and issues,” Kennedy said.

As the event died down, Petruso said it took the candidates longer to sweep and conquer the walls than in previous years.

“We’re very pleased with the way things turned out,” Petruso said. “There were no major incidents, but candidates did move slower than in the past.”

Postering day marks the official start of the campaigning period.

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Thursday, March 3, 2011 12:03 p.m.

Student organizations announce endorsements for student elections

by Jamie Blynn

With Student Association, Program Board, Marvin Center Governing Board, and Class Council elections quickly approaching, student organizations have begun to announce their candidate endorsements. Elections are March 9 and 10.

Did we miss an endorsement? E-mail news@gwhatchet.com and we’ll update. What do you think of the endorsements? Let us know in the comments below.

President

Chris Clark

  • Club Sports Council
  • College Democrats
  • College Republicans
  • The GW Hatchet
  • Residence Hall Association

Caleb Raymond

John Richardson

  • Active Minds
  • Allied in Pride
  • Alternative Breaks
  • Indian Students’ Association
  • MBA Association
  • Medical Center Student Council
  • South Asian Society
  • Student Bar Association

Jason Kaplan

  • Green GW
  • International Affairs Society
  • Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity-Phi Alpha Alpha Chapter

Phil Gardner

Josh Benjamin

  • Generic Theatre Company
  • Forbidden Planet Productions
  • 14th Grade Players

Kwasi Agyeman

Executive Vice President

Amanda Galonek

  • Green GW
  • Medical Center Student Council
  • Panhellenic Council
  • Young America’s Foundation

Ted Costigan

  • Allied in Pride
  • Alternative Breaks
  • College Republicans
  • The GW Hatchet
  • MBA Association
  • Residence Hall Association

Aria Varasteh

  • Ahimsa
  • Arab Student Association
  • Global China Connection
  • GW Bhangra
  • GW Chamak
  • GW French Club
  • GW German Club
  • GW Raas
  • GW Rangeela
  • Indian Students Association
  • International Affairs Society
  • Iranian Cultural Society
  • Klub Polonia
  • LGBTQ and Transnational Film Queer Studies Club
  • Satyam
  • Sikh Students’ Association
  • South Asian Performing Arts Group
  • Student Bar Association
  • Students for Justice in Palestine

Zahin Hasin

  • South Asian Society

Samantha Free

  • College Democrats
  • Generic Theatre Company
  • Forbidden Planet Productions
  • 14th Grade Players

Program Board

Connor Currier

 

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Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 3:26 p.m.

JEC releases unverified list of Student Association candidates

by Lauren French

The Joint Elections Committee released an unverified list of candidates for the Student Association, Program Board, Marvin Center Governing Board and Class Council elections Monday afternoon.

The JEC still has to verify that the candidates are eligible to run by examining their academic and disciplinary records and examining the signatures each candidate submitted.

The race for president and executive vice president is larger than in recent years, with 12 people vying for the Student Association’s two top spots. Three SA outsiders – John Richardson, Joshua Benjamin and Kwasi Agyeman – are in the running for president, joined by three current or former senators – Jason Kaplan, Caleb Raymond and Chris Clark – and a former JEC member and SA senator – Phil Gardner.

Eight students are running in uncontested races and another eight races – mostly graduate seats – have no students running.

The full list is below:

President-1

  1. Jason Kaplan
  2. Caleb Raymond
  3. Phil Gardner
  4. Chris Clark
  5. Kwasi Agyeman
  6. Joshua Benjamin
  7. John Richardson

EVP-1

  1. Amanda Galonek
  2. Ted Costigan
  3. Aria Varasteh
  4. Samantha Free
  5. Zahin Hasan

U At Large-2

  1. Keaghan Ames
  2. Zach Kahn
  3. John Bennett
  4. Cory Grever

CCAS Undergrad-6

  1. Keith Osentoski
  2. Kaitlin Gaughran
  3. Scott Backer
  4. Daniel Ceisler
  5. Jonathan Carfagno
  6. Josh Goldstein
  7. Danica Brown
  8. Samuel Sherman
  9. Gordon Pera
  10. Daniel Bassali
  11. Eric Arpert

ESIA Undergrad-3

  1. Elizabeth Kennedy
  2. Mateo Garcia
  3. Elena Gillis
  4. Garrett Graham
  5. Patrick Cero
  6. Manuel Iglesias
  7. Nathaniel Austin
  8. Jason Gamache

SOB Undergrad-2

  1. Nick Koeniger
  2. Russell Feldman
  3. Michael Buss
  4. Hugo Scheckter

Law School Grad-2

  1. Jake Chervinsky
  2. Meredith Dempsey

SPHHS Grad-1

  1. Menolly Hart

CCAS Grad-3

  1. Bradley Dlatt

ESIA-Grad-1

  1. Patrick Hanley

 

PB Exec Chair-1

  1. Connor Currier

PB Exec Vice Chair-1

  1. Megan Davison

MCGB Undergrad-4

  1. Edwin Wharton
  2. Kat Valdes
  3. Shawn Kelly
  4. Jordan Hill
  5. Dylan Pyne
  6. James Reed
  7. Joong Hyup Lee

Grad at Large Senator-2

  1. James Bonneau

SOB  Grad Senator-2

  1. Jason Platzman
  2. Kendra Singh

CPS Undergrad Senator-1

None

 

CPS Grad Senator-1

None

 

SEAS Undergrad Senator-1

  1. Dan Gil
  2. Amitava Paul

SEAS Grad Senator-2

1. William Rone

 

SPHHS Undergrad Senator-1

 None

 

SMHS Undergrad Senator-1

 None

 

SMHS Grad Senator-2

 None

 

GSEHD Senator-2

 None

SON Senator-1

None

MCGB Graduate-1

None

Class Council Senior

1. Estee Gabel

Class Council Junior

1. Arsalan Ahmad

Class Council Sophomore

  1. Khadija Lalani
  2. Mary Devlin
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