By Anastasia Tsioutas & Colby Itkowitz
With no SGA presidential candidate winning the majority vote, a second took place between Ben Solis and Dave Leveille.
Results are in and the new Student Government Association (SGA) President has been elected. Benjamin Solis and Olin Grant Parker won the majority of votes as a result of the run-off election held Wednesday and Thursday.
According to SGA, Solis and Parker received 485 votes, while Leveille and Hunker received 383 votes.
“I am relieved and grateful,” Solis said. “I am looking forward to working together with everyone next year.”
Even though more appeals were made during the run-off, they were all dropped by the Elections Commission, SGA President Heather Gibbons said. The candidates all agreed to the dismissal of the appeals.
Solis officially took office at a turn-over meeting. During the last Senate meeting will be the last senate meeting, held on Tuesday, May 3, when Gibbons and her administration stepped down and made way for the Solis administration.
“I am very excited that all our hard work paid off,” Parker said. “I am very thankful that everyone came out to vote for either side.”
At the Turn-Over Meeting Heather Gibbons passed the presidential reigns to Solis
Despite a scathing election and a starkly divided Senate, president-elect Ben Solis made clear Tuesday evening that his administration’s foremost concern was the betterment of the student body.
After Heather Gibbons passed the presidential reigns to Solis and running mate, Olin Grant Parker, in an emotional farewell, the ticket poised together, unwavering on their campaign pledge to depart from the dirty politics of Student Governments past.
“We’re going to work together as a team for what the students want, instead of against each other,” Solis said at the turn-over meeting. Parker said the often tumultuous and clashing attitudes that resonated through recent Senate meetings had only stymied their progress and painted a negative image of SGA throughout campus.
Next year the duo plans to create commissions of senators, faculty members and students not affiliated with SGA to address University shortcomings and maintain a presence outside of their weekly Tuesday meetings.
To emphasize their desire to start anew, Solis and Parker adorned funny hats throughout the meeting.
They appointed Rachael MacIsaac as secretary and Russell Akiyama as parliamentarian.
Tension resurfaced briefly when voting commenced for committee chairs, when one senator called out of order to notify his voting “bloc” which senator to support.
But the nominations and elections proceeded smoothly with no political infighting.
Solis said he is happy with the Senate’s selections.
“It was an extremely good meeting,” Solis said. “I’m extremely excited about our new cabinet and I think this year is going to be great.”Gibbons, who stayed behind to watch her replacement address the newly sworn-in 2005-06 Senate, said Solis and Parker should just “do exactly what they did tonight.”
“I’m definitely overwhelmed by the outpour of support from my senators tonight as I was leaving,” Gibbons said. “I am glad Ben is here to take over.”
New Student Government Association president, Ben Solis (left) and vice president Olin Grant Parker (upper right), are eager to make significant changes next year. (Tara Conry/ The Chronicle)