FLORA THEDEN
News Assistant
The votes have been counted and the results are in from this year’s Student Government Association elections.
The 2008-2009 Executive Board of SGA will be comprised of Hunter Stanfield as president, Ashley Burt as vice president, Courtney Boucher as vice president of finance and John Ceglia as vice president of administration.
The sophomore class president will be CJ Bakke, and there will be a runoff election between juniors Steven Arnold and Jennifer Young for senior class president, along with sophomores Adrianne Fore and Blake Franks for junior class president.
Current sophomores and juniors are able to recast their votes for the remaining candidates on the elections Web page. The election began Wednesday at 8 a.m. and will continue through Friday at 8 a.m.
The new SGA Executive Board has already met to discuss its plans for the upcoming year. Stanfield and the rest of E-board have come up with three main initiatives for next year.
“While three initiatives are small in number, we believe they will provide for the greatest impact on the student body and allow for a greater concentrated focus on our part,” Stanfield said.
First, it will move to establish a mentoring program between juniors and seniors, as well as incoming freshmen, that extends beyond the first semester.
Second, it will move to create more forums and debates of topics that students want to discuss and that it feels is pertinent to the entire student body.
Third, E-board members will seek to create greater transparency with respect to SGA and the work it does for the student body.
Young, a candidate for senior class president, said she has big plans for Pepperdine, if elected. Young, who is currently an SGA housing senator, plans to initiate a program to plan Senior Ball in advance and receive funding to pay for the event so that money from ticket sales can go toward a charity organization or senior gift.
Young also said she plans to try to change the cafeteria points system so that points can roll over from spring to fall semester, along with executing other presidential duties, such as organizing class T-shirt giveaways.
“Even if they don’t vote for me, I want to make sure that they are actively participating in the voting process,” Young said. “I hope that I do win because I have a lot of great ideas, but I respect whatever decision the senior class makes.”
Young’s opponent, Arnold, is an SGA senator and plans to hold a smart, cost effective Senior Ball, as well as various events during dead week directed specifically toward seniors. He also plans on working toward a 24-hour food source on campus and longer gym hours, if elected.
“I hope this will encourage students to not feel like they are fighting against their school, but instead working together to enjoy its resources,” Arnold said.
Franks, who held the position of freshman class president during the 2006-2007 year, said he wants to improve the effectiveness of SGA and work on providing a Pepperdine airport shuttle if he is elected as junior class president.
“The first thing I would do is begin planning an event or week-long series of events for the junior class for the beginning of fall semester,” Franks said. “It would most likely consist of meet-and-greet or mixer activities to reconnect and recharge our excitement for campus life.”
Fore was unavailable for comment but served as a freshman senator last year. Her formal platform states she will bring real-world experience into SGA after interning at the Texas State Capital for State Representative Dwayne Bohac.
04-03-2008