Quinnipiac University students will elect their representatives for the Student Government Association (SGA) on Sept. 21. The online ballot will open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Open seats include two senior class senators, two junior class senators, the whole first-year cabinet, two multicultural and identity senators, a liberal arts senator and a veteran senator.
SGA Vice President Christopher Longchamp, junior economics major, said students who want to grab one of those seats should come to one of the information sessions hosted this week.
“We’re looking for any of the students that are interested in trying to represent the student body in front of top-level administrators and trying to get works that desperately needed here,” Longchamp said.
All candidates must submit their paperwork, which consists of GPA/conduct check form, a 100-word statement and a campaigning platform outline, to the SGA’s Election Committee by Sept. 10.
Campaigning will begin at midnight on Sept. 14. Candidates may spend a maximum of $150 for their campaign, according to the SGA’s constitution.
Following two weeks of election information sessions with “great attendance,” Longchamp hopes it will transfer to high turnout on the election day.
Sophomore civil engineering major Martin Radney said he plans to vote but doesn’t know any information about the upcoming elections. He said the SGA should do more to raise awareness about the elections and the candidates.
“So when I voted, there were some positions I didn’t vote for just because I didn’t know the candidates or what that position would do,” Radney said. “But if I know (more about) the position then I’d vote for someone who I think would be good for that position.”
In the past semesters, Radney learned about students who were running through social media like Instagram. He recommended SGA put up more posters around campus for students’ awareness purposes.
As SGA’s executive board consists of six white men, recruiting a diverse pool of candidates is another goal for this election cycle. SGA Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Jeremy Gustafson, senior political science and economics double major, said he has been in communication with the Multicultural Student Leadership Council (MSLC) to garner underrepresented students’ interests in running for a seat.
“I’ve been working with Pratibha (Thippa) over at the MSLC and I sent her information about the elections and the info sessions so she can pass out to some people,” Gustafson said.
Longchamp also said the SGA has had many people who have shown their intention in running for the multicultural and identity senatorial seat.
“We’ve had people come out to these info sessions from multiple different backgrounds,” Longchamp said. “I’ve reached out to people, as well, who are from underrepresented populations here on campus, and they have shown interest in SGA.”
Less than two weeks before the fall 2021 semester began, senior political science major Gabriella Colello resigned from her post as a multicultural and identity senator citing her inability to justify an uncompensated equity role.
Colello has not responded to the request for comments at publication.