Jon David Cole will serve as the Student Association president for the 2005-06 term.
Other elected executive SA officers will include Cory Carter as vice president, Seth Robinson as attorney general, Matt Vitart as treasurer and Emily Stone as secretary. Claire Cothren won the senior class president election.
“I feel blessed to have the opportunity to give back, and I feel like taking a nap,” Cole said after hearing he had won the election.
Cole said the first issue he will tackle as president will be cabinet reform. “I know there are a lot of really great people out there,” he said.
Elections commissioner Mary Brown said elections ran smoothly, but voter turnout dropped 50 percent-from over 3,000 last year to 1,520. That’s about 10 percent of the student body.
“Hopefully, we can change the attitude over the next year, build it back up,” Carter said.
Carter, who ran unopposed, said he is excited about serving as vice president.
“All the other candidates were out here probably on the edge of their toes, and I was out here,” Carter said. “I’ve been excited about this ever since I found out I was going to be vice president.”
Stone was also unopposed. The elections were not as stressful for her compared to other candidates, but they were excited nonetheless, she said.
She said she is looking forward to serving as secretary. “I’ve been on cabinet as campus outreach director, and I’ve loved it,” she said.
Vitart, who is interning at the White House in Washington, D.C., this semester, gave his campaign staff, especially J.R. Love, Morgan McPhail, Michael Martin and Emily Smith, credit for his victory.
“I owe it to those four people and all the people who helped them,” Vitart said. “It’s a privilege to be part of an organization which does so much for the students, and I’m looking forward to serving as treasurer.”
Robbins said he felt great about winning the race for attorney general. Last year the SA held runoff elections for president, attorney general, secretary and senior class president. Runoff elections were not necessary this year, though.
“I think that’s indicative that the student body spoke strongly about who they wanted,” current SA President Adam Telle said.
Telle said he is sad to be leaving office, but he plans on working hard during the two weeks remaining in his term.
Brown said few students voted in the Sanderson, and she hopes more students will realize it’s a good place to vote. She also hopes the SA is working on opening the library as a polling place.
“I think we got a great exec; I think they’re going to do great next year,” Brown said.
The 2005-06 SA executive officers will take office April 13 at 6:30 p.m. during an inauguration ceremony in the Hunter Henry Center.