Joint Statement from SGA Election Board Chair Benjamin Alkon and UMBC Vice President for Student Affairs Nancy Young

5/11/2014

A Statement from SGA Election Board Chair Benjamin Alkon and UMBC Vice President for Student Affairs Nancy Young

To the UMBC Community:

Over the past week, we have worked together to review the policies governing SGA elections and the actions taken by the SGA Election Board.

After many meetings, consultation with counsel, reflection and thorough discussion, we have jointly concluded that despite significant concerns the Election Board Chair’s certification of the 2014 SGA election results should have included, and moving forward will include all elected candidates, including the names of Ganesh Mysore and Valerie Parks, who have been elected SGA President and Executive Vice President respectively. Both Mysore and Parks will be publicly inaugurated at noon on Monday, May 12 as a part of the SGA Inauguration on the Commons Terrace.

 In the interest of transparency, we will be available to discuss the election board review, the election results and future SGA election processes at noon on Wednesday, May 14, in the Student Organization Space (on the second floor of The Commons).    

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SGA ELECTION BOARD

May 1, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SGA ELECTION BOARD

During the recent SGA election, the Election Board received a complaint along with a video purporting to show a campaign worker for the Ganesh Mysore-Valerie Parks campaign engaged in door-to-door solicitation in a UMBC residence hall. Such activity, if proven, would be a violation of Residential Life policy, and therefore also a violation of the SGA Election Policy and Election Rules.

The Election Board invited the Mysore-Parks campaign to respond to this complaint and submit contrary evidence. The campaign provided sufficient and reliable evidence to prove the video had actually been created by the Jeff Kee-Marquez Fernandez campaign in an attempt to mislead the Election Board so it would penalize the Mysore-Parks campaign. Submitting false information to the Election Board in order to gain an advantage in the election is a violation of the SGA Election Policy and Election Rules.

The Election Board gave the Kee-Fernandez team an opportunity to respond and provide evidence to refute the Mysore-Parks campaign, and the Election Board launched an investigation. Evidence collected by the Election Board included, but was not limited to, in-person testimony and statements signed by three individuals who had participated in creating the video; in-person testimony and a statement signed by a member of the Residential Life staff who was on duty when the video was made; information from the entry log maintained by Residential Life for the building where the video was made; and telephone records.

Having considered all of the evidence, the Election Board determined that the overwhelming weight of the evidence supported the conclusion that the video and complaint were fraudulent, having been created and submitted at the initiative of, and with support from, Jeff Kee and members of the Kee-Fernandez campaign team, in order to mislead the Election Board and gain an advantage in the election. The Election Board determined that this conduct violated the SGA Election Policy and Election Rules, including but not limited to the Election Policy provision stating that “[p]rohibited actions included, but are not limited to: Falsifying any information transmitted to the Election Board …,” as well as Election Rules 4 and 5. Recognizing the severity of this offense and its potential to have derailed the election process, and in light of previous violations and warnings, the Election Board voted to disqualify the Kee-Fernandez ticket. The Election Board’s vote on whether to hold the Kee-Fernandez ticket responsible for this offense was unanimous in favor; and to impose disqualification as the penalty, five in favor, zero opposed, and one abstaining.

The one remaining ticket received well over the minimum (5% of votes cast) required for election to SGA positions, so Ganesh Mysore and Valerie Parks have been elected SGA President and SGA Executive Vice President.

In accordance with Article 4.2.2 of the SGA Constitution, “All decisions of the Election Board are final and not subject to appeal.”

2014 SGA Election Results

OFFICIAL RESULTS — 2014 STUDENT ELECTION

TOTAL VOTES CAST IN THIS ELECTION:  4154! (largest vote total ever for a UMBC SGA election)                            

37.3% of UMBC undergraduates cast votes, the highest turnout rate in decades.

Some 2013 turnout rates for comparison (2014 results from Towson and College Park are not available yet):

Towson University—2013 election, 15.6%
University of Maryland, College Park—2013 election, 17.7%
UMBC—2013 election, 32.2%

SGA SENATE Top 11 candidates (in bold) have been elected: Atib Siddiqui                             701 votes Hannah Khan                             692 votes Sahand Yazdanyar                  592 votes Bryan England                        588 votes Joshua Massey                      553 votes Omar Kadry                            547 votes Victor Pham                            513 votes Tristan Oetker                         475 votes Olusola Jegede                      448 votes Michael Lopresti                        426 votes Amir Sadeghi                              386 votes William Barnes                          378 votes Nevin Varghese                        373 votes Emily Melluso                            360 votes Mayur Darji                                315 votes Tammy Bumrerjit                       294 votes Isabel Geisler                             291 votes Christina Rodriguez                   288 votes Katie Durkin                               272 votes Mackenzie Chong                     265 votes Ayshah Mahmud                       261 votes Brian Rajan                               256 votes Kenneth Bohr                           252 votes Sandra Waithaka                     249 votes Zach Engleman                        243 votes Evan Voultepsis                       235 votes Kody Wong                              220 votes Brian Shouse                           220 votes Bukola Adeosun                      209 votes Kathryn Sage                          209 votes Dawit Yonnas                          205 votes Kevin Louis                             197 votes Avery Hunter-Hackney           196 votes Juan Camacho                       193 votes Rachel Crosen                       190 votes Sean Ekekwe                         188 votes Patrick Lee                             169 votes Zane Gray                              167 votes Hannah Seen                         164 votes Forrest Bowling                      153 votes Carrie Cleveland                    152 votes Matthew Poissant                  151 votes Matthew Eck                         150 votes Kyle Barga                            146 votes Shahzeb Hassan                  140 votes Paris Patras                          135 votes Alex Shamberger                 126 votes Marcus Mog                        126 votes Zach Brasel                         120 votes Sylvester Orubele                118 votes George Chua                       117 votes Ma’neh Tcheffo                    117 votes Charra Wudtee                     113 votes Riley Burkhart                      108 votes Richard Elliott                      104 votes Keegan Dill                          104 votes Alan Adebayo                       86 votes Nicholas Colvin                     82 votes Write-ins (total):                  144 votes

SGA FINANCE BOARD Top 5 candidates (in bold) have been elected:   Kevin Nguyen                     777 votes Trent Bae                           595 votes  Augustus Williams           575 votes Bee Morgan                      559 votes Aaron Kennet                    488 votes Jacqueline Scott                453 votes Daniel Donoghue               433 votes Nohaa Aqeel                      359 votes Sohini Kundu                     354 votes Caleb Zhou                       343 votes Nisarga Patel                    341 votes Yashvanth Pavuluri           341 votes Phoebe Tai                       319 votes Aaiz Ahmed                      293 votes Sheharyar Qureshi           260 votes Brady Nusbaum               177 votes Ilan Taylor                        150 votes Write-ins (total):               127 votes

PRESIDENT and EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

The Election Board is withholding results in this race pending resolution of outstanding issues relating to the conduct of the election. We expect to make an announcement soon.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Michael Burgos                                  2044 votes    66.2% 

Austy Chase                                        1138 votes    36.8%

Write-ins (total)                                       87  votes        2.8%

TREASURER

Anthony Jankoski                                1877  votes   57.6%

Belawoe Akwakoku                               1320  votes   40.5%

Write-ins (total)                                        78    votes     2.4% 

 

 

Voting Open Now!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Attention all voters:

The Election Board has issued a clarification to Rule 10 of the SGA Election Rules:

“Duress” refers to any act that may lead the voter to believe that he/she is not free to choose which candidate(s) to vote for or will be bothered or harassed unless specific votes are cast. If a campaign provides equipment, including but not limited to a laptop, a tablet, or a phone, to a voter for the purpose of casting a vote, no campaigner may stand within 10 feet of the person casting a vote.

Violations of this rule will be taken very seriously.

To the candidates: candidates should notify all persons associated with their campaigns immediately. 

If a campaign violates this rule, notify Election Board Chair Ben Alkon as soon as possible (alkon1@umbc.edu).

Presidential & Vice Presidential Candidate Platforms

Jeffrey Kee & Marquez Fernandez

Platform: Re-electing Jeffrey means one thing: measurable results. His past achievements include:

1.) Successfully fighting against increases in student fees
2.) Increasing funding of student organizations to an all-time high
3.) Establishing popular sustainability projects such as bike-sharing
4.) Instituting much-needed renovations in the weight room and RAC

If elected, Jeffrey and Marquez plan to:

1.) Improve campus closure policies
2.) Expand commuter services
3.) Make textbooks more affordable
4.) Establish free printing in the library

Jeffrey Kee is the current President of the Student Government Association at UMBC. Last year, he made it his goal to be the most accessible President the student body has ever known – and he held true to this standard of connecting with his fellow classmates. As much of a scholar as he is a basketball fan, you can usually find him on a court somewhere playing ball or doing schoolwork in the library at all hours of the day. In his spare time, he enjoys thrifting and listening to rap music.

Marquez is a junior, majoring in sociology. Marquez is also a part of the UMBC varsity soccer team that recently captured the America East Conference title. He was the recipient of the 2013 Coaches’ Award for the player that exemplifies both high standards on the field and in the classroom. Marquez is a fan of Manchester United but his favorite player is Cristiano Ronaldo. Combining his experiences as a student, an athlete, and as a commuter, he plans to unite all the students of UMBC and make sure they know they have one powerful voice in this administration.

Jeffrey and Marquez firmly believe that EVERY STUDENT MATTERS!

Endorsements:

 

Ganesh Mysore & Valerie Parks

Platform:

Student Engagement: We will continue to support proposals suggested by the student body through Prove It! and encourage attendance at athletic and cultural events by distributing SGA sponsored spirit wear!

Campus Accessibility and Safety: We strongly prioritize improving safety and accessibility at UMBC and will focus on providing more lighting and Blue Lights on campus pathways, as well as implementing active shooter policies and drills. We will work with the administration on reevaluating campus closure and ice clearing policies so that all student interests are equally represented.

Mental Health: We want to focus on mental health at UMBC by establishing an internship program that works with the Counseling Center to support initiatives that boost mental health awareness. These programs and workshops would not only raise awareness of traditional mental health issues, but also help student build the skills necessary to cope with the stresses of university life.

Endorsements:

•  Atib Siddiqui (Director of public relations: UMBC SGA student organization support team)
• Lambda Chi Alpha
•  Mama’s Boys A Capella

 

VPSO Candidate Platforms

Michael Burgos

Platform:

When elected I will –
• Ensure that students and organizations seeking help are given a voice.
• Made sure that students and organizations receive equal and full cooperation from the administration.
• Increase participation in the student government.
• Fulfill my duties as Vice President for Student Organizations through effective, inclusive, and cooperative leadership.
• Take the steps necessary to move SGA forward.

Endorsements:

Austy Chase

Platform: To facilitate student involvement on campus, while working towards  institutionalizing collegiate pride with various events targeting a far more diverse demographic by means of collaboration between various organizations/departments representing the different facets and interests of the UMBC community.

Endorsements:

• Atib Siddiqui (Director of public relations: UMBC SGA student organization support team)
• Lambda Chi Alpha
• Rubin Waranch (President of Pi Kappa Phi)
• Pi Kappa Phi

Treasurer Candidate Plaforms

Belawoe Akwakoku

Platform:

If I am elected, I will emphasize that student organizations have ownership of the funds that Finance Board allocates. There should not be any nervousness or hesitation when coming before the Finance Board and the best way to do that is for the Treasurer and student organizations to have strong relationships. It is the duty of the Treasurer to work substantively with student organizations so that they are best prepared to come before Finance Board and be successful in their allocation request.

Endorsements:

• Atib Siddiqui (Director of public relations: UMBC SGA student organization support team)
•  Mama’s Boys A Capella

 

Anthony Jankoski

Platform:

As Treasurer, I seek to:

• Facilitate communication between student organizations and myself by holding weekly office hours during which organizations can come and ask questions.

• Keep in mind the status of the budget when making both large and small-scale funding decisions.

• Make budget information common knowledge among student organizations by circulating a weekly budgetary report detailing the expenses made and funding remaining from Finance Board activities.

• Make student organization leaders more aware of the decision and allocation process and to show them that this process is how many student organizations have requested funding in the past.

Endorsements:

• Aaron Kennet (Secretary General: Model UN & Chief of Staff: UMBC SGA)

Finance Board Candidate Platforms

Aziz Ahmed

Platform:

I want to make UMBC a better campus for everyone. Being a finance board member I can accomplish this task. As I will be involved with clubs and organization to help them again finances that they need to run these organizations. By doing so I can tell myself that I used my time to the best of my abilities at UMBC, and it will also help me in my professional career.

Endorsements:

Nohaa Aqeel

Platform:

If I win, I hope to make a difference in the UMBC community by bringing everyone together. We are a diverse campus but we never take advantage of the diversity. I hope to expose different culture groups to each other so that they can work together to create cultural events. Where UMBC students can come together to celebrate and learn about different cultures. This will increase awareness of different groups on campus and more students will join the groups. I just hope that I am an effective leader when or if I win. But I hope to make a difference in the UMBC community, and I hope that it becomes a new stepping stone for everyone.

Endorsements:

Trent Bae

Platform:

As a Finance Board Rep., I hope that I can efficiently and productively allocate funds to organizations. I want all types of events to be funded but making sure to evenly distribute the money. Events will always gear to a certain group on campus so I feel like every event should be funded in some sort of way. Therefore, I hope I can allocate as much money to organizations to fulfill their goals and purposes.

Endorsements:

Daniel Donoghue

Platform:

If I won I would want to improve the gym facilities, create a more friendly environment to students with disabilities, and create more stress free events in order to create a more healthy environment for students.

Endorsements:

 

Aaron Kennet

Platform:

If I win, I aspire to do 3 main things:
1. Re-establish communication efforts between SGA Finance Board and student organization leaders by: ensuring that direct e-mails are sent to relevant student organizations as soon as possible.
2. Set meeting times outside of finance board for finance board members to discuss particularly controversial Allocation Request Form decisions.
3. Setting an appropriate, polite tone for Finance Board meetings in order to establish a positive, welcoming environment for student organizations.

Endorsements:

Sohini Kundu

Platform:

I hope to bring a different viewpoint to the Finance Board. As one of the current youngest members on the board, I know how it works and now I want to help it grow by creating precedents that can be passed down from year to year. I hope to be the representative who plays Devil’s Advocate more often and say what’s on my mind, even if my opinion is different from everyone else’s on the board. I’m never going to be afraid to speak my mind when it comes to a Finance Board meeting.

Endorsements:

Bethany Morgan

Platform:

If I were elected as a Finance Board member, I would help create and facilitate an environment in which students really feel they are being heard, appreciated, and understood. When Student Orgs present their events for funding, I would help them know that their ideas and visions are being respected and listened to. Regardless of what time of day it was, I would make sure these students had my full attention as they discuss the events and ideas they want to share with UMBC’s student body.

I would make sure these student leaders know that I am interested in the change they wish to create, and I would want them to feel empowered and inspired as they leave each meeting. If I were elected, my goal would be to help these students share their visions, regardless of whether they were funded or not.

Endorsements:

Kevin Nguyen

Platform:

While I appreciate the hard work from this years Finance Board, I’m not happy with how quickly they spent the years budget. I know that events are expensive but some of the ones funded this year should not have been fully funded.

If I were to be a part of Finance Board next year, I would try to a set up a more calculated and a bit frugal system. Perhaps a range of how much can be spent per week would be set, which would vary from week to week, depending on the number of allocations sent and how much is asked.

To make up for this, I may play a role in helping Orgs find ways to compensate any funding they are lacking.

Endorsements:

 

Brady Nusbaum

Platform:

I hope to simply be the best I can be for the finance board and the UMBC SGA.

Endorsements:

 

Nisarga Patel

Platform:

My platform as running for a member for the financial board is finance and resource efficiency as well as making SGA more communicable internally. As a member of the financial board I want to make SGA more connected through electronic media as well as save time in recording valuable information.

Endorsements:

Yashvanth Pavuluri

Platform:

Increased recycling and sustainability.

Endorsements:

Sheharyar Qureshi

Platform:

As a member of the Finance Board, I want to be able to allocate funds in a fair and non-biased manner.  I would personally want to fund the organizations that will benefit the UMBC students in all their endeavors. My main goal would be to fund organizations that are able to produce and maintain a greater social atmosphere for a better student life. I would also want to have increased funding for fraternities and sororities so that they may have a greater role on campus life and thus students would be able to have a more memorable college experience.

Endorsements:

Jacqueline Scott

Platform:

If I win, I will do my best to ensure student organizations get the right amount of funding, and let them know the benefits of adequate preparation in order to get enough for their organizations. I will also do my best ensure the funds are appropriated correctly and enforce controls to avoid misuse and waste of funds.

Endorsements:

Kuangyu Tai

Platform:

If I become a member of the Finance Board, I hope to set a higher standard for school clubs. Some clubs are less active than others, or do not truly accomplish their stated purpose. As it is important to allocate funds wisely, I would like to ensure that clubs have the support they need to be functioning at their best. Students have complained this year that UMBC does not listen to their requests. As a result, I would like to dedicate more time to discussing (or acquiring if needed) student feedback, so the Finance Board will be capable of making good decisions regarding how much to spend on various events.

Endorsements:

Ilan Taylor

Platform:

My platform is “More democracy today for a better legacy tomorrow.” I have traveled to a myriad of educational institutions and too many times have I conversed with their respective populations to discover that they are unhappy with their experience. They don’t voice their concerns either because they don’t have the best avenue to convey their thoughts for executive considerations or the executives simply don’t pay enough attention to reasonable inquiries. Should I be elected I will involve the reasonable suggestions of the public into decision making processes and provide a louder voice for those who genuinely want UMBC to be a pleasurable experience for themselves as well as other incoming students. Specifically, for instance, there are concerns about the UMBC commuter bus and the outreach of its route. Should that be a topic of discussion I will incorporate student feedback into the conversation for possible improvement.

Endorsements:

Augustus Williams

Platform:

I want to use finance board as a way to ensure that the SGA allocates money wisely and responsibly. If I am elected to finance board, I will be responsible for giving money to many student organizations and events. It is important I do this fairly, so that all these organizations can have the right budget to achieve their goals for the year.

Endorsements:

Caleb Zhou

Platform:

I will fund events with food that are good and I will help fund the less experienced clubs who may not understand the inner workings of the Finance Board. As they may not get funding for essential items for their club/ club events and it is super sad to see this happen sometimes.

Endorsements:

Senate Candidate Platforms

Alan Adebayo

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Bukola Adeosun

Platform:

My plan is to improve student welfare and create a healthy environment for our community. My greatest accomplishment will be when the students of UMBC have confidence in their Student government because their voices have been heard.

Endorsements:

Kyle Barga

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

William Barnes

Platform:

I want to be the voice of the people, I want quality representation for all students. I also want the students to enjoy their time here, and I want to do as much as I can to improve student life for residential and commuter students.

Endorsements:

Kenneth Bohr

Platform:

Make UMBC better

Endorsements:

Forrest Bowling

Platform:

My platform is to not represent the student body as an individual but have my choices and opinions be directly influenced by what I hear and see from my fellow Retrievers. I hope to have the ability to bring in new food choices onto campus and have the selection of those new foods be a reflection of the voice of the students.

Endorsements:

Zachary Brasel

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Mananya Bumrerjit

Platform:

As a SGA Senator, I would like to advocate for the students at UMBC. There are many students who have great ideas to make a change or start something new, and I want to be able to create an outlet for them to do so. I want to create more student engagement with academics improve student participation in university life.

Endorsements:

Riley Burkhart

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Juan Camacho

Platform:

I hope to better the school and represent the students of UMBC as best I can. I will voice the opinions of my fellow students as best as I can.

Endorsements:

Mackenzie Chong

Platform:

I want what’s best for the student body.

Endorsements:

George Chua

Platform:

If I win, I’m planning to stop my volunteer job and give more time to SGA since this is something I’ve wanted to do for so long. My main goal is just parallel to the goal of SGA office: to be the voice of students at UMBC and improve the quality of student life on campus from every angle.

Endorsements:

Carrie Cleveland

Platform:

I am a social work major.  While studying social work we learn about how we can help people. I want to do that on campus. I want to be part of the solution.  So many people are quick to complain but slow to actually do, including myself. I want to get involved and make this campus a better place.

Endorsements:

Nicholas Colvin

Platform:

I want to work on issues that students are facing, whether they are commuters or on campus, fixing problems and addressing questions or concerns they might have and also help to get students more involved and out and about. I also hope to become more active with the student body, the school and the various programs it has to offer.

Endorsements:

Rachel Crosen

Platform:

As a social work major with an interest in policy, not only do I enjoy helping others, but I see that policies are ever changing based on people’s needs. I want to use my experience to advocate on behalf of the students at UMBC.

I want to establish more centers, organizations, campus groups, and involvement. I want EVERYONE to belong to something.

Endorsements:

Mayur Darji

Platform:

Getting things done.

Endorsements:

Keegan Dill

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Katie Durkin

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Matthew Eck

Platform:

I will emphasize the connection between student and member of the student government.

Currently, I see a number of problems that students express, and, instead of sitting on the sidelines, I seek an opportunity to develop and implement policies that will help alleviate these issues, be they related to parking, safety, and maintaining a sound, productive, stable educational environment.

Endorsements:

Sean Ekekwe

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Richard Elliott

Platform:

My platform is livening up the school. I would like to host events, such as a laser tag tournament or school-wide dance, as I think that would help students increase their school spirit.

Endorsements:

Bryan England

Platform:

If I win I want to work to help International students become more involved and feel at home from day one. I also want to work on ways to increase commuter parking, and make finding spots easier and more efficient for commuters. Lastly, I want to work with the environmental club on ways to help promote sustainability through conserving power and recycling.

Endorsements:

Zach Engleman

Platform:

-Increase campus involvement
-Increase the attendance at athletic events/student org events with a quid pro quo strategy.
-Cater more to the commuter student needs as well.

Endorsements:

Isabel Geisler

Platform:

I want to help build our community –not just UMBC’s, but our local and global community too. UMBC’s students are so diverse and have so much potential to share their cultural experiences; I would be honored to help with that. I would also like to continue my current initiative: a mentorship program that focuses on high school girls interested in STEM fields and offers them opportunities for research and self-empowerment.

Endorsements:

Zane Gray

Platform: NA

Endorsements:

Shahzeb Hassan

Platform:

As a senator, I will actively participate in the community and connect with as many fellow UMBC peers. My main goal would be to potentially resolve as many challenges facing our college peers, stimulating an enhanced college lifestyle. I will take the initiative to explore the campus and listen to as many individual concerns. As a senator, it will be my job to assist you with any community worries that you may have. I guarantee that I will figure out solutions to all of your problems and provide you with utmost contentment for being here at UMBC. I will definitely do my best to reduce your anxieties and motivate the inspiring retrievers we have here.

Endorsements:

Avery Hunter-Hackney

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Olusola Jegede

Platform:

If I win, I hope to work on various committees to bring about change on this campus.
As an international student at UMBC, I intend to work with various offices to help international student issues on campus. These range from the cultural and academic transition of studying in the US to finding academic opportunities such as internships.
As a STEM major, I am interested in helping to further improve resources available to students that aid them with their classes. Such as the LRC, by continuing good work that members of the current senate are engaged in. Especially in the STEM fields.

Endorsements:

• NSBE (national society of black engineers)
• EESA
• African Student Association
• Sofia Thompson (President of African Student Association)
• Joshua Massey (Senator: UMBC SGA)

Omar Kadry

Platform:

I care about the involvement of students at UMBC. I want to encourage student involvement and work to have more students involved in the UMBC campus, both with organizations and organization hosted events. I would also love to see where UMBC stands and try to get the ball rolling on more university owned housing

Endorsements:

Hannah Khan

Platform:

During my time as Vice President for Student Organizations, I focused on several areas of focus. I plan to continue if elected as a senator next year with the following:

1. Collaboration: I will continue working in creating a collaboration calendar and work with next year’s academic affairs & diversity and multicultural department to improve and expand “dindinblahblah”.

2. Campus Involvement: I will continue working to bring organizations and student more involved on campus. This year I helped run the “RAC in Black Pre-Game Cookout” and plan to create something similar for the Mens Soccer Team in the fall.
I will also bring a new idea that is a spin off of “CNN Heroes” for student organizations. This will encourage student organization to be more involved on campus to help increase student life.

Endorsements:

Patrick Lee

Platform:

my platform is steady enough to stand on.  I hope to make it facebook official with kate upton.

Endorsements:

Michael Lopresti

Platform:

Overall, my goal is to work with students to improve their experience here at UMBC.  I hope to try and publicize SGA’s achievements and events more throughout the student body.  I also would like to work with the administration to try and improve campus safety. This includes topics like improving lighting on campus, and publicizing what to do if a dangerous situation were to arise on campus.  In addition, this year we have begun opening a dialogue between the students and the administration regarding closings and delays.

Endorsements:

• Atib Siddiqui (Director of public relations: UMBC SGA student organization support team)

Kevin Louis

Platform:

I want to help contribute to my ideal of continuing to strive for the best SGA possible. Not only that but I hope to learn a lot of valuable information that can help make me the best person I can be.

Endorsements:

Ayshah Mahmud

Platform:

If I won I would want to improve the gym facilities, create a more friendly environment to students with disabilities, and create more stress free events in order to create a more healthy environment for students.

Endorsements:

Joshua Massey

Platform:

This year, I have been working with Senator Mayur on increasing the visibility of the services offered by the Shriver Center and the Learning Resources Center.  I have also been working with Sarah Lilly (First Year Ambassador to the Senate) on the possible renovations to the Student Organization Space (located on the Second Floor of the Commons) and the Sunday Starbucks ProveIt! project.  I plan to continue this work next year.

Endorsements:

• African Student Association
• Sofia Thompson (President of African Student Association)
• Olusola Jegede
• NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers)
• Elizabeth-Sarah Sosanya (President of Salvation and Praise)
• Salvation and Praise
• Nisha S. Naik (President of Students for Environmental Awareness)
• Students for Environmental Awareness
• Cassie Bichy

Emily Melluso

Platform:

My objective is to empower UMBC students to make their difference. If I can help at least one student act on their idea and create a change meaningful to the betterment of our community, then I will feel like an accomplished Senator.

Endorsements:

Marcus Mog

Platform:

More events that bring together students.

Endorsements:

Tristan Oetker

Platform:

My platform is to increase SGA accessibility to the entire campus. In essence, I want students to be able to make changes that will take effect rapidly, so that they may see the benefits of their efforts directly. These include but are not limited to, altering/creating cost effective meal plans, instituting the “mystical” smoking zone shelters, etc.

Endorsements:

• Jonathan Ko (Resident Student Association National Communications Coordinator)
• Niclas Hauschenbeth (Captain UMBC Chess Team)
• Andrew Gribben (Resident Student Association President)
• UMBC Rock Climbing Club

Sylvester Orubele

Platform:

By regularly having conversations with students and even staff, I would be able to address several concerns in the undertones of our discussions. Also, since I am part of the community, I would not hesitate to bring up issues that cause undue stress (on top of college stress) to minorities at UMBC. By the end of my tenure, I hope to prove that even the most extreme of all introverts can actually become a public figure. There will be barriers, but they are only psychological.

Endorsements:

Paris Patras

Platform:

My platform is essentially trying to bring UMBC students together , since diversity within the university is fairly wide though everyone seems to prefer to stay within their own comfort zone and their own sort of cliques, at the same time UMBC has a fairly large amount of commuters which brings into consideration issues like school cancellation since it has been heard that some students travel to umbc from places as far as the eastern shore. At the same time groups that are mainly geared towards charity are barely payed attention to on campus despite how much they try. Finally it also does seem that the schools does not pay as much attention to non major musicians or theater performers as they would like. My aim if i were to win is to be able to help provide these groups with support and setting their agenda’s , as well as in the long run bringing more UMBC students together thus building more on our community as a whole.

Endorsements:

Victor Pham

Platform:

I wish to decrease the amount of commuters who attend UMBC by making it more of a residential school. Similar to other Universities, we should make “Late Night” available for students on weekends and extend the opening hours for the RAC. Also, I would like to bring more chain restaurants to UMBC’s campus to give the campus more of a residential feel. This will increase the demand for students to live on campus and will encourage UMBC to build more residential dorms.

Endorsements:

Matthew Poissant

Platform:

If I win my main goal would be to encourage and promote better inter-department communication. Most complaints I have heard about campus is how the different branches of the administration don’t communicate very well, often at the expense of the student. The best example is how the registrar often schedules finals that end by the time UMBC residents are supposed to be moved out. A little bit of collaboration by ResLife and the Registrar could save these students from a large amount of stress. I also hear how SGA and seb do not have the best relationship with each other. This seems absurd as no two organizations would benefit more from a collaborative relationship than those two.

Endorsements:

Brian Rajan

Platform:

I hope to help students voice their opinions more on campus.

Endorsements:

Amalia Rivera-Oven

Platform:

I hope to accomplish a lot, and make most of my time in office. I know that sounds vague but I really want to just take a step back and see what students want and need from SGA. I also would love to really change a lot with dining on campus. I know there are many contracts that I have no control over, but I can have some impact on how dining services works with students with dietary needs or food allergies. I know for many students dining is a huge concern, and I feel that there are ways we can improve on healthier options and options that target those with dietary needs. I think it would also be great to work on initiatives that will positively influence many student organizations. Such as finding ways to better fund raise, find ways to create more connections between organizations, and giving various organizations the support they look for.

Endorsements:

Christina Rodriguez

Platform:

I want to dramatically improve the way students communicate with the SGA and how we hear and handle their ideas and concerns. I also want to change the way we communicate with administrators on campus. I hope to empower other students to become active in our community and to make changes that benefit UMBC. I have so many ideas and things I want to address if I become a Senator including changing the food options in the commons, extending certain building hours such as the library, adding an Outtakes closer to West Hill and Walker apartments, and addressing the safety and well-being of our students.

Endorsements:

Amir Sadeghi

Platform:

My platform would be to help students to cooperatively work together to attain goals and to achieve an optimal environment. I would like to make the Senate accessible and known among the student body. Mostly, I would like to help get the general student body to be able to be informed and acquainted with the Senate.

Endorsements:

Kathryn Sage

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Hannah Seen

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Alexandra B. Shamberger-Sandosky

Platform:

I’m really invested in improving the first year experience. No one can do everything in four years, so it only makes sense to ensure that the upcoming generation of students has the best chance to make the University as worthwhile as possible. I believe we can do this by making changes to what students learn in their first year programs and orientation days so that they are encouraged to lead, take chances, and feel confident in their ability to make changes.
Along with this goal I hope to make navigating campus resources easier by implementing some main database so that students can more easily utilize the campus resources to their fullest potential. UMBC already has many resources that can help students succeed, but they often go underutilized because students aren’t aware of them or aren’t aware what they can do. I hope that by making students more informed about their campus, they’ll feel more invested in UMBC and better able to succeed.

Endorsements:

Brian Shouse

Platform:

I hope to increase the number and variety of extracurricular events available on campus, as well as to increase buses to and from various Baltimore area campuses.

Currently, it takes multiple connection for someone at UMBC to, for example, visit a friend at Towson. Neither of these campuses is too far from the other, but yet there is no direct bus route.

Additionally, I strongly believe that UMBC needs a clear cancellation policy. Late notices and questionable cancellations are unacceptable. If elected I will push for a more fair and understandable formula for making cancellation decisions as well as announcing those decisions in a timely manner to the campus.

Endorsements:

Atib Siddiqui

Platform:

My platform is simple.

This year has been a tumulous year for the SGA. Leadership has been missing, and along with leadership, accountability.

I intend to bring all of that back.

In addition, students have numerous issues that they want to see changed. As SGA, we are supposed to aid them and help them change things. I intend to be the voice of the many.

I intend to change the culture here at UMBC, and re-develop a sense of faith in the SGA from the student body.

Endorsements:

• Chris Bate
• Steven Snyder
• Alex Spafford (High Phi (Ritualist): Lambda Chi Alpha)
• Patrick Chase
• Lexus Ampadu
• Bernard Cabatit (Standards Chair: Lambda Chi Alpha)
• Meghan Carpenter (Seantor: UMBC SGA)
• Samantha Spehr (Coordinator for internal affairs: UMBC SGA)
• Michael Lopresti (Assistant Director: UMBC SGA Community and Institutional affairs)

Ma’neh Tcheffo

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Nevin Varghese

Platform: N/A

Endorsements:

Evangelos Voultepsis

Platform:

Help better student life here at UMBC

Endorsements:

Sandra Waithaka

Platform:

I hope to accomplish more recognition for the commuter students within campus.I hope to help UMBC grow and help students find their own place within our diverse campus.

Endorsements:

Kody Wong

Platform:

My main platform is from the commuters point of view, passing policy and events that will benefit commuters or bring up concerns regarding the lack of events. If i become a SGA senator, I really want the student body to be aware of the policy being made, and also make a direct and immediate impact to the student body whom the SGA is working for to make UMBC a fun and friendly atmosphere for everybody.

Endorsements:

Charra Wudtee

Platform:

“Get Connected”

I am hoping that I can help students empower themselves to connect with and know about the resources that are available for those seeking to get involved or engaged in leadership opportunities at UMBC.

Endorsements:

Sahand Yazdanyar

Platform:

If I win, I hope to take the strides necessary to make my vision for UMBC a reality. I would work with other Senators and members of the SGA to spearhead key items necessary in making our campus more accessible for students with disabilities, have an overall better college atmosphere (in regard to school spirit and creating a less stressful environment), and anything that will help us become a more respected center of higher education.

Endorsements:

Dawit Yonnas

Platform:

I hope to accomplish facilitating making the SGA more transparent for the average student to participate and launch initiatives.

Endorsements:

Preliminary List of 2014 SGA Candidates

Below is a list of the students who submitted applications to run for SGA positions in next month’s election. This list is preliminary and not final (the names listed below will be checked for eligibility and may appear differently on the ballot, including their order).

All candidates must receive a number of votes equal to least 5% of the number of total votes cast in the election.  Write-in votes are permitted in SGA elections.

The election will take place through MyUMBC from Monday, April 21st at 12:00:01 a.m. through Wednesday, April 23rd at 11:59:59 p.m. The results will be released on Thursday, April 24th at 4:30 p.m. in the Student Organization Space on the 2nd Floor of The Commons.

More information, including candidate profiles and scheduled Election Board-sponsored campaign events, will be posted soon at www.umbc.edu/studentvote.

All candidates will receive an e-mail message from the Election Board Chair with information about candidate information sessions, SGA Election Rules, and other important information.

Any questions can be referred to Election Board Chair Ben Alkon (alkon1@umbc.edu) or SGA Advisor Craig Berger (berger@umbc.edu).

President (3 candidates)

• Ibinabo Feddy-Inimgba (running mate = Sarah Lucas)
• Ganesh Mysore (running mate = Valerie Parks)
• Jeffrey Kee (running mate = Marquez Fernandez)

Executive Vice President (3 candidates) 

• Sarah Lucas (running mate = Ibinabo Feddy-Inimgba)
• Valerie Parks (running mate = Ganesh Mysore)
• Marquez Fernandez (running mate = Jeffrey Kee)

Vice President for Student Organizations (3 candidates) 

• Austin Nam
• Michelle Seu
• Michael Burgos

Treasurer (2 candidates) 

• Anthony Jankoski
• Belawoe Akwakoku

Finance Board Representative – 5 positions (17 candidates) 

• Ilan Taylor
• Brady Nusbaum
• Trent Bae
• Yashvanth Pavuluri
• Nisarga Patel
• Augustus Williams
• Kevin Nguyen
• Jacqueline Scott
• Aaiz Ahmed
• Nohaa Aqeel
• Sheharyar Qureshi
• Aaron Kennet
• Sohini Kundu
• Bee Morgan
• Caleb Zhou
• Phoebe Tai
• Danny Donoghue

Senator – 11 positions (59 candidates) 

• Forrest Bowling
• Atib Siddiqui
• Olusola Jegede
• Nick Colvin
• Zach Engleman
• George Chua
• Paris Patras
• William Barnes
• Patrick Lee
• Kenneth Bohr
• Sylvester Orubele
• Mackenzie Chong
• Evangelos Voultepsis
• Matthew Poissant
• Nevin Varghese
• Omar Kadry
• Brian Rajan
• Richard Elliott
• Amir Sadeghi
• Tyler Becker
• Avery Hunter
• Kevin Louis
• Zachary Brasel
• Hannah Seen
• Robert Anstett
• Sean Ekekwe
• Ma’neh Tcheffo
• Zane Gray
• Tristan Oetker
• Marcus Mog
• Sandra Waithaka
• Hannah Khan
• Rachel Crosen
• Matthew Eck
• Mohammed Nayel
• Katie Durkin
• Kathryn Sage
• Mayur Darji
• Riley Burkhart
• Dawit Yonnas
• Emily Melluso
• Isabel Geisler
• Keegan Dill
• Carrie Cleveland
• Alexandra Shamberger
• Michael Lopresti
• Christina Rodriguez
• Brian Shouse
• Shahzeb Hassan
• Bukola Adeosun
• Charra Wudtee
• Amalia Rivera Oven
• Mananya Bumrerjit
• Victor Pham
• Kody Wong
• Joshua Massey
• Sahand Yazdanyar
• Ayshah Mahmud
• Alan Adebayo