Graphic By: Mark Molter

SGA Elections
| Published 04/30/04

The results were announced around 5 p.m. in Cook Hall. After the results were announced, Deleon celebrated by serving cake to those in attendance.

This second election was held because of the voting margins of the first election. In that election, Deleon received 820 votes out of 1,754, which was 46.75 percent of the total vote. She believes that the results of the first election were affected by the fact that it was a three-candidate race.

"I think [the figures from the first election] helped the second time around. Students were able to see those figures and maybe make a decision based on that," said Deleon, a 20 year-old junior and Social Work major. "I had a lot of support from a lot of the [fraternities]. I had a lot of support from social work members." She also added that she had the support from the other clubs and organizations at Radford University.

Deleon hopes to keep enthusiasm in the SGA during her presidency. One issue that Deleon is concerned about is the search for the new school president, which is being handled by RU's Board of Visitors.

"There will be an extensive search for the new university president," Deleon said. "And we have requested that we have students sit on [the Presidential Search Committee]."

Deleon further said it was "disappointing to know that [the Board of Visitors] did not feel it was necessary to have a student on that committee." According to Deleon, the Board of Visitor's explained the reason for not allowing students on the committee.

"We will be working toward making sure students sit on [the committee]," she said.

Deleon believes her knowledge and experience with the SGA and RU are beneficial to student government. She is part of the Internal Governance Committee, Bookstore Advisory Committee, Radford Student Conduct Council, Phi Alpha (social work honor society) and a sorority. She serves as the International Student Affairs Council Vice President, the Waldron College of Health and Human Services Senator and a University 100 peer instructor.

She attributes her experience and "being able to envision where SGA has been, and being able to use that vision to make sure that SGA will excel next year" is what made her different from the other candidates.

However, Shawn Healy ran for president for different reasons. He wanted students to realize that SGA did a lot of work for them. He wanted to accomplish better student awareness, increase respect for the SGA from administrators, restore the backbone of SGA and increase student involvement.

His principle concern was the cavalier attitude the administration has towards students. He was concerned about the state's lack of proper funding, which causes RU classes to be cut and increases tuition.

"Currently I am the [Legislative Action Council] chairperson, and we're watching budget amendments very closely to help ensure Radford will receive some type of increased funding," said Healy, a 21 year-old junior majoring in Political Science. "I e-mail legislators almost on a daily basis to tell them how students feel so they know how their vote will effect [students]."

His experience with state politics encouraged him to run for SGA president.

"I've worked on many campaigns, and I'm gearing up to help the Kerry for President campaign very soon," he said. "I know how to be politically savvy and get around issues, or get ours heard. I'm not afraid to put my neck out there for students, because this university is here for us and not the administration."

Healy believed that what made him different from the other candidates was that he cared about the students. He noted that he sacrificed his time and put a lot of effort into obtaining student opinion

He attributes his loss to poor campaigning. "Kenda is an attractive lady, and some people could be swayed by the picture of her," said Healy. "Our fliers were too wordy and didn't get the point across easily, and because my campaign manager says I come off snobby."

Healy also believes that the initial three-candidate race affected the results. In that election he received 519 votes, which was 29.59 percent of the total vote.

"Look at the national presidential election of 2000; a third candidate always takes votes or splits a vote among other candidates," he said. "It was more fun running with three candidates, because everyone got off their asses and worked."

Ross Holberg, who was the third candidate in the initial election, was not included in the runoff election. However in the first election, he received 401 votes, which was 22.86 percent of the total vote.

Holberg said he appealed to the more progressive, open-minded students who were not as likely to vote. His activism made him stand out from the other two candidates.

"I come from more of a background of, like, protesting issues, and working outside committees and the system," said Holberg, a 19 year-old Political Science major. "I'm more of a subversive kind of guy." Holberg ran for SGA president, because he believed that he had acquired the experience and a strong vision for student government at RU.

"I wanted to kind of realize that vision and let students know that there was someone there that wanted to speak up for them," he said. Holberg wanted SGA to be more pro-active and involved in the community.

"That means working with organizations on campus," he said. He also said it meant "setting a better example" and promoting service to those groups. Other goals Holberg wanted to accomplish were utilizing resources better and standing up to the administration. He agrees with Healy's feelings that the administration dismisses students' opinions.

Another issue that Holberg is concerned about is speaking for students, instead of talking down to them for the university administration. He said that student government exists to serve the students, not members of the student government.

Holberg believed the qualifications he had for president was experience with national politics, the Green Team (an environmental group on campus), the Sierra Student Coalition, Alpha Phi Omega Co-Ed Service Fraternity and the Tartan.

Holberg agrees that since the presidential race was a three candidate race it did affect the results in the first election. He believes that having three candidates running helped bring more of a consciousness.

Holberg supported Shawn Healy in the runoff election because of the similarity of their campaigns.