Nowhere to be seen was the mob of students, the HAM Channel lights and cameras or any of the other sights and sounds that have become synonymous with FUSA Election Night.
Instead, there was a small group of FUSA officials, gathered in an otherwise empty Barone Campus Center lower level as Election Commissioner Alexandra Ghiorzi ’09 handed out sheets of paper that listed results that were essentially cemented a week ago.
After a three-hour delay, FUSA President Hutch Williams ’08 officially became the first president in FUSA history to be elected to a second term, leading a list of incumbent officials who won re-election.
The results.-which were scheduled to be announced at 9 p.m.-were announced shortly after midnight because of the large number of votes for write-in candidates received, which made it more difficult for officials to count all the votes.
Williams, running un-contested after Frank Fraioli ’08 withdrew from the race last week, received 671 votes, while write-in candidate Matt Reed ’08 came in a distant second with 41.
John Daly ’08 was elected vice president with 628 votes. He will take over for out-going vice president Megan McConville ’08, who chose not to run for re-election.
Despite not having contested elections for president and vice president, the election drew 842 voters. The results are the lowest since 1989, the earliest year for which data was available. But turnout was close to what it was two years ago when 892 students participated and Jess DiBuono ’06 defeated Ashlee Fox ’06 for the presidency.
“We had hoped for a higher turnout, but I anticipated roughly this amount,” said Williams. “I’m happy with my own turnout, for example; last year 819, this year 671, so that number is good for me.”
Williams’s margin of victory was 79 percent, compared with 72 percent in last year’s election.
Reed ran an ad in last week’s Mirror telling voters: “Don’t worry, the other guy will get plenty” of votes.
Daly was not present in the BCC as the results were announced but later said he was pleased with the turnout.
“I was a little afraid that people wouldn’t get out to vote because the major part of the election is a no-contest,” he said.
Williams and Daly both said they are looking forward to working with the 2008 class council, which includes President Marc Hansel, Vice President Dana DeGennaro and Treasurer Logan Carr, last year’s 2008 class council members who campaigned as a team.
“We’re glad to keep the team going and keep everything going into next year and keep it strong to make our senior year the best year we can possibly make it,” said Hansel. “[LaCroix] put up a valiant effort; he went out there and campaigned hard. He was here all day today up in front of his booth and I was at class.”
LaCroix, a current Senate member, said Hansel will continue to lead the 2008 class council toward exciting events.
“I think he’ll do a great job – he already did,” said LaCroix. “I feel like I could have put more of an effort into it, to be honest.”
But LaCroix said his loss will not lessen his general participation in FUSA.
“[Marc and I] have already talked about working out something between me and him for class council, and I’m still going to continue Senate. And then I’ll see about programming for next year,” he said.
Olivia Rubin was re-elected as class council president for 2009, Freshman Class President Jeff Seiser defeated opponent Spencer Thibodeau ’10 by 43 votes for re-election.
Ten Senate positions were filled for each class except for the class of 2008, for which five students tied for the 10th senator spot.
A run-off this week will decide the final position.
Williams said he is confident in next year’s FUSA staff because it is a mixture of returning FUSA members and newcomers.
“Some of them are new, some of them are old,” he said. “Familiar faces have experience, have knowledge; fresh faces bring in new ideas, so the fact that we have a combination of both is a good thing. I’m excited.”
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