Student Association Election Reactions

Senior computer science major Joey Cole had a lot on his mind as he sat outside of Hendricks Chapel, enjoying the spring weather. With final exams, Mayfest, and graduation approaching, the recent Student Association election was the last thing on his mind. 

The winners of the election, President Mackenzie Mertikas and Vice-President Sameeha Saied won by a total of just 21 votes; however, out of 15,252 undergraduate students at SU, according to 2017 enrollment data, only 2,980 voted, according to an election tally in The Daily Orange. 

Cole said that he had never voted in an SA election during his four years because he never knew much about the candidates or when elections took place. Cole said he believes that many other students feel the same way, which is why only 19.54% of students voted in the recent election.

“If no one really cares who wins,” Cole said, “Then no one is going to vote.”

Stevie Gonzalez, a public relations graduate student, agrees that fewer people vote because of a lack of awareness about what the Student Association does around campus. 

“I just feel like it’s a lack of understanding on what the Student Body [Association] actually does,” Gonzalez said, “And maybe if undergrads understood that more and how much they were impacted by it, they would probably vote more for it.”

The Student Association’s committees include academic affairs, administrative operatives, community engagement, diversity affairs, elections and membership, public relations, and student life with a finance and judicial review board. Their recent initiatives range from an on-campus bike share program to a “Chat and Dine” program where students can get to know their professors, according to the Syracuse University website.

An election night scandal also didn’t help, according to students like Jacqueline Brouillette. Brouillette, a junior public relations major, said that the incident only made her have less respect for SA. 

After comptroller candidate Eduardo Gomez’s campaign was suspended, a video was posted on the Instagram account of PR co-chair, Torre Payton-Jackson, that expressed frustration using foul language and targeted student’s who accused her of personally rigging the election. 

Brouillette said that in order for the student government to increase votership, trust, and awareness among the student body, more students need to run in elections.

“The more people that run,” she said,  “The more people are going to support their candidates and support people and get more involved.”