Standing on a platform that pledged improvements in parking and campus transportation, junior Chris Ferro and senior Brian Anderson won West Virginia Universitys highest student offices on Thursday, Feb. 22.p.
Ferro, a psychology major from McMechen, W.Va., was elected Student Government Association president. He has served on the student Board of Governors and is a member of Golden Key National Honor Society, the National Association of Collegiate Scholars, the Honors Program and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.
Anderson, an accounting major from Bluefield, W.Va., was chosen vice president. He also served on the Board of Governors and is a member of Mountaineer Council and Kappa Alpha fraternity.
The Ferro/Anderson platform addressed the lack of parking on campus, among other issues, and suggested implementing a share-ride program modeled after programs in place at other universities and expanding the current”ticket stacking”policy.
Ferro and Anderson ran against three other teams: Casey Quinlan and Erin Kratsas; Brian Linkous and David Fusco; and Nate Martino and Phil DeBiasi.
Election committee chair Nasira Roidad reported that 2,768 students voted in this years student election, 201 less voters than last year. She speculates that yesterdays unexpected snow storm may account for the lower turnout.
Election results showed Ferro/Anderson winning with 808 votes, followed by Casey Quinlan and Erin Kratsas with 767 votes. Brian Linkous and David Fusco got 550 votes and Nathan Martino and Phil DiBiasi got 474 votes.
Also on the ballot were two amendments to the Constitution. The first, which proposed creating an Appeals Panel for the Judicial Branch, passed, as did the second amendment which proposed changing the name of the student administrative body to Student Government Association (SGA).
The SGA Judicial Board will post the official election results Sunday, Feb. 26, after certifying challenge ballots.
WVU students also chose 15 Board of Governors members, an Advisory Council of Students representative and two students to serve on the Athletic Council.p.
Winners in those elections are as follows:
Board of Governors:
Sarah Workman, a sophomore chemistry major from Charleston, W.Va.. (923); Ashley Lilly, a speech pathology and audiology sophomore from Oak Hill, W.Va. (824); Don McIntyre, a sophomore pre-business and economics major from Ripley, W.Va. (809); Christy Shaffer, a junior political science major from Morgantown, W.Va. (779); Angela Piccirillo, a sophomore pre-journalism major from Madison, W.Va. (779); Brian Jenkins, a senior wildlife and fisheries science major from Richmond, Va. (711); Josh Justice, a sophomore pre-business and economics major from Ashford, W.Va. (639); Billy Coates, a freshman political science major from Canfield, OH. (628); Andrea Gess, a junior exercise physiology major from Falling Waters, W.Va. (594); Tonya Graser, a sophomore political science major from Andersonville, Tenn. (589); Johnny Shields, a sophomore industrial engineering major from Stonewood, W.Va. (544); Besse Dailer, a freshman journalism major from Elkins, W.Va. (524); T.J. Meadows, a sophomore pre-business and economics major from Sylvester, W.Va.. (513); Amelia Hayes, a freshman biology major from Mt. Clare, W.Va. (458); and Jeffrey Prichard, a sophomore business major from Milton, W.Va.
Prichard won the final seat on the Board of Governors with 74 votes after a run-off election was held on Friday, March 2. Prichard and Angela Taft, a junior advertising major from Smithfield, Pa., were tied with 443 for the 15th and final BOG seat in the first student election held on Feb. 22.
*Advisory Council of Students:
Jeremy Posey, a public administration graduate student from Weston, W.Va., was re-elected for a third term to the Advisory Council of Students with 1,561 votes.
*Athletic Council
Students elected Nick James and Andy Brugnoli to serve as representatives on Athletic Council. James, a sophomore economics and sport management major from Nichols, NY., received 1,276 votes, and Brugnoli, a sophomore pre-business and economics major from Beckley, W.Va., received 980 votes.