Rojas Wins Student Assembly Presidency Junior Elected with Senators Discuss Election, 60 Percent of Vote Upcoming Legislation
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Say hello to the ECAC Apathetic about the Dancing the night away Rookie of the Year Student Assembly SEE BACK PAGE SEE PAGE 5 SEE PAGE 7 The twice-weekly student newspaper of the College of William and Mary — Est. 1911 VOL.98, NO.39 FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2009 FLATHATNEWS.COM Rojas wins Student Assembly presidency Junior elected with Senators discuss election, 60 percent of vote upcoming legislation By MAGGIE REEB By JESSICA KAHLENBERG Flat Hat News Editor Flat Hat Staff Writer Less than an hour after the polls Seven incumbents and four new senators closed, Sarah Rojas ’10 and Ryan Ruz- were voted into office in the Student Assem- ic J.D. ’11 were declared the winners bly elections Thursday. Despite a technical of the 2009 election for The College error that has forced a run-off election for of William and Mary Student Assem- the class of 2010’s fourth senate seat, many bly President and Vice President. of the newly elected senators were ready to With nearly 60 percent of the vote, discuss their plans for the coming year at an Rojas and Ruzic are the first under- election after-party held at the Library Tav- graduate/graduate ticket to win the ern. SA presidency in recent years. “What happened with the rising senior “We are ecstatic,” Rojas said. “We class is that our voting system allowed grad- are really, uate students to vote,” Sen. Walter McClean really hap- ’09 said. “Around 12 voted, but because the ONLINE VIDEO py. We were difference between Eric Newman and Erik just talking Houser were only three votes, which is less Watch the newly about what than the 12 percent margin allowed, we’re elected president we want to going to have a runoff.” and senators discuss get to work The Class of 2010 senate victors included on first. We Ross Gillingham, Steven Nelson and Jim the results at really want Dunleavey. flathatnews.com to imme- Dunleavey, the only newcomer among diately set the three elected, said he realizes the po- to work on tential of the SA, to make a difference on increasing communication between CAITLIN FAIRChild— THE FLAT HAT campus but he aims to improve its roles and clubs, the SA and the administration. Newly elected President Sarah Rojas ’10 and Vice President Ryan Ruzic J.D. ’11 celebrate as incumbent senators look on. purpose. We want to start facilitating that dia- “The Student Assembly has a good gen- logue.” kins ’09 has spent the 2008-2009 aca- after Rojas was diagnosed with [much] more qualified, they did.” eral framework, but needs some fixing,” Ruzic said he is excited for the op- demic year trying to integrate gradu- mononucleosis a few days before the Hopkins and current SA Vice Dunleavey said. “Right now, it’s a play- portunity to represent the College’s ate students into the SA and was SA elections. Rojas said her illness President Kristen Slawter ’09 joined ground for government majors and potential graduate students. impressed by Ruzic’s initiative. prevented her from reaching out to the celebration as well. politicians. I want make it a relevant student “When I found out, I was in class,” “Before Ryan, [no graduate stu- students as much as she could have, “I think Rojas and Ruzic are really, body again.” Ruzic said. “Everyone just went wild. dents] had sponsored bills,” Hopkins but some members of the SA felt her really well-suited for the job,” Hop- McLean said that many of the bills ap- I think we had great support from said. legislative experience was enough to kins said. “It’s going to be really hard proved in the past year were important. graduate students. Do I think that Rojas and Ruzic joined other win the presidency. to step down. But I am really pleased “Some of the key bills were the [automat- they were the reason the votes turned newly elected SA officials at the “Rojas and Ruzic should not have that I am going to be leaving the ic external defibrillator] acts, outdoor recy- out the way they did? No, but it’s been Library Tavern on Richmond Rd. won for the amount of campaigning Student Assembly in capable hands.” cling bills on Old Campus, [and] the flu shot great to have their support.” Rojas’parents were in attendance as they did,” Sen. Caroline Mullis ’09 bill,” McLean said. “Also, this year we’ve Current SA president Valerie Hop- well, having driven to Williamsburg said. “But because they were that See EXECUTIVE page 3 made some progress with the 3-person rule, which Rojas will hopefully continue with next year.” 2009 SA ELECTION WINNERS The class of 2011 will be represented by incumbents Brittany Fallon and Ben Brown, Class of 2010 Class of 2011 Class of 2012 Senators as well as newly elected Sens. Imad Matini and Juan Jorquera. Class President Class President Class President Class of 2010* Class of 2011 Brown said he and other senators accom- Alyssa Wallace Michael Tsidulko Kobie Gordon Ross Gillingham Brittany Fallon plished a lot last year, and that he has a vari- Jim Dunleavey Ben Brown ety of bills proposed for the coming year. VP of Advocacy VP of Advocacy VP of Advocacy Steven Nelson Imad Matini ”My main bills as senator were the AED Jessica Taubman None Steph Kumah Juan Jorquera acts and the recycling bill with Brittany. I’ve also tried to extend outreach with ‘The On- VP Social Affairs VP Social Affairs VP Social Affairs Class of 2012 ion,’” Brown said. “I currently have three Laura Nelson Wayne Pearson None Matt Schofield bills in place, mostly dealing with transpar- Betty Jeanne Manning ency. I’ve also proposed bills dealing with Treasurer Treasurer Treasurer Stef Felitto Rec sports providing cars to away-sports- Ray Ciabattoni Chrissy Scott Xiaoyu Guo Jill Olszewski matches.” Since former Sen. Michael Douglass ’11 Secretary Secretary Secretary *A runoff election will be held to elect ran for vice president of the SA, he will not None Sahra Roble Stephanie McGuire the final 2010 senator See SENATE page 3 Nine frats turn down E-mail abuse, glitch trouble election Grad students allowed to vote in undergrad elections, on-campus housing mass e-mails used to spread political messages TDX will leave unit next year By ADAM LERNER statement. soon,” Cooper said. Flat Hat Chief Staff Writer “[CFA chairman] David [Coo- At approximately 4 a.m., an anon- By BERTEL KING, JR. “No other fraternities have decided not per ’10] had talked to me, and I had ymous e-mail urging students to Flat Hat Assoc. News Editor to have housing next year,” Council for Fra- Student Assembly elections talked to other people; and it might vote against SA executive candidates ternity Affairs Chairman David Cooper ’10 Thursday were dotted by instances have seemed like [the] CFA had en- Horacio Carreño ’10 and Michael Tuesday was the final day for fraternities said. of mass e-mail abuse and a techno- dorsed the specific ticket, and that Douglass ’11 was to decide whether they would request cam- Michael Taylor ’11, president of Phi logical glitch that briefly allowed was not my intention,” Brown said. sent, in violation of LAT LAT pus housing for next year. Theta Delta Chi Kappa Tau, said a combination of factors af- graduate students to vote in under- “I signed my name and gave my F SA code, to student was the last of nine fraternities to decide not fected his fraternity’s decision, namely the graduate class elections. opinion, which ultimately should e-mail adresses. to live in the units. long-term financial issues due to vacancy, At approximately 12:30 a.m. not have been sent out of the list- “ A n o n y m o u s “Based on unreasonable College policies brothers not wanting to spend up to three Thursday morning, Sen. Ben Brown serv — and that’s why I issued the e-mails are not al- toward the Greek community, we have cho- years in the fraternity units, and the difficulty ’11, chairman of the Council for Fra- retraction.” lowed by our code,” ILE PHOTo — THE — ILE PHOTo sen to leave our housing in an act of protest,” of filling up a housing unit after the increase ternity Affairs Judicial Board, sent Cooper says that the statement F Sen. Matt Beato ’09. Theta Delta Chi President David Hampton in the minimum requirement needed to hold an e-mail via the CFA listserv urg- was an inappropriate use of the Matt Beato ’09 “You can e-mail as ’10 said. special interest fraternity housing. ing fraternity members to support listserv, and that he would be dis- many [people] as Theta Delta Chi joins Alpha Tau Omega, Fraternities must fill 36 spots in order to Sarah Rojas ’10 and Ryan Ruzic J.D. cussing it with the Greek Life office you want, just not anonymously.” Alpha Phi Alpha, Chi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, apply for special interest housing. Four fra- ’11 for the positions of SA president some time next week. Several hours later, Carreño Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Al- ternities also cited the increased minimum and vice-president. “To my knowledge, the CFA rules and Douglass sent their own mass pha Epsilon, and Sigma Pi — none of whom requirement as a factor in their decisions not Approximately two hours later, do not specifically prohibit such ac- will be residing on campus. to apply for campus housing. Brown e-mailed a retraction of his tions, but we will be reviewing that See ELECTION page 3 Page 2 Friday, March 27, 2009 News Editor Maggie Reeb News Editor Isshin Teshima NEWS INSIGHT [email protected] BEYOND THE ’BURG This Week in Flat Hat History ‘Stabilitas et Fides’ 1928 25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.