2008 Woodie Awards
Most A.S. slots uncontested
John Hornberg
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: News
Last year, 26 candidates from two different campus political parties ran for 15 open seats on the Associated Students Board of Directors.
This year, only 14 total candidates are running for 10 open positions.
There are only three contested positions in the upcoming A.S. elections - President, Controller, and Director of Communications.
Another seven positions have a single person running uncontested, leaving six more positions potentially open heading into the fall, something Ann Grabowski, current A.S. director of internal affairs and one of two candidates for president, attributed the lack of turn out to last year's election.
She said there were two parties in the previous election, and almost every position was hotly contested.
"The year after there's a contested election, there is a lull in candidates and voter turnout," she said.
William Vosa Cavu-Litman, who is also running for A.S. president, said the lack of candidates running for office might be a pitfall of the student government that should be addressed in the coming year.
"All positions should have been contested," he said. "To have only three positions contested is sad."
Last year, voting spiked to over 2,500 students voting in the A.S. election, with the ballot initiative concerning the university's name as one of the key issues on the ballot at the same time.
This year, there are no accompanying ballot initiatives, Grabowski said.
Azra Crnogorcevic, a candidate for director of communications, said the problems come back to publicity.
"A lot of students are unaware of what A.S. does for them," she said. "Our job is to make them aware."
She also said several students are unable to make the time commitment needed for office.
Both Grabowski and Cavu-Litman said appointments would fill the open positions not elected in the upcoming election in April.
This year, only 14 total candidates are running for 10 open positions.
There are only three contested positions in the upcoming A.S. elections - President, Controller, and Director of Communications.
Another seven positions have a single person running uncontested, leaving six more positions potentially open heading into the fall, something Ann Grabowski, current A.S. director of internal affairs and one of two candidates for president, attributed the lack of turn out to last year's election.
She said there were two parties in the previous election, and almost every position was hotly contested.
"The year after there's a contested election, there is a lull in candidates and voter turnout," she said.
William Vosa Cavu-Litman, who is also running for A.S. president, said the lack of candidates running for office might be a pitfall of the student government that should be addressed in the coming year.
"All positions should have been contested," he said. "To have only three positions contested is sad."
Last year, voting spiked to over 2,500 students voting in the A.S. election, with the ballot initiative concerning the university's name as one of the key issues on the ballot at the same time.
This year, there are no accompanying ballot initiatives, Grabowski said.
Azra Crnogorcevic, a candidate for director of communications, said the problems come back to publicity.
"A lot of students are unaware of what A.S. does for them," she said. "Our job is to make them aware."
She also said several students are unable to make the time commitment needed for office.
Both Grabowski and Cavu-Litman said appointments would fill the open positions not elected in the upcoming election in April.
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