For the second consecutive year, Tracy Kelly will run unopposed for Graduate Student Senate's top position.
Kelly, a third year graduate student, sits atop the Proud Party ticket. In addition to serving as the senate president this year, Kelly also spent two years as a student trustee and was previously a member of Student Senate at Ohio University's Lancaster campus.
Other members of the ticket include Chelsie Wollett, running for vice president for Finance and Administration; Molly Yanity, running for vice president for Communication; and David Nichols, running for vice president for the Committees and Legislative Affairs.
As our party's platform
we want to continue aiding the general fee buy down for students Kelly said. Another thing would be an alternate means of stipend distribution. Currently there is only a nine-month contract with stipends for graduate students with assistantships - we want to extend it to a 12-month stipend distribution. It would be very beneficial to graduate students.
The Proud Party ballot also includes Erin Dame as a candidate for senator for the Scripps College of Communication. Dame is currently Student Senate's environmental director and is also running to be Student Senate's Graduate College senator as a member of the SOUND ticket.
Nichols, who is currently senate's commissioner for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs, is the only Proud Party candidate with an opponent. Kendra Bradshaw, a third-year graduate student from Rose Hill, N.C., will challenge Nichols for the vice president for Committees and Legislative Affairs.
This is actually the first year that we know of that there has been a contested race
said Anna Seidel-Quast, a member of the Board of Elections. In the past there haven't been any debates because there has not been another student to debate against
but this year it is something we can look into.
Only 94 graduate students of the more than 2,600 enrolled last year voted in last spring's election.
I think the graduate students felt that there was no need to vote and that a winner was already perceived to be determined. But what they don't understand is that in voting
they are helping to provide mandates to us for what they want
Kelly said. My particular party plans to promote the election as much as possible.
The election will take place May 20 and graduate students will be able to vote online with their Oak ID and password. Graduate students may vote in both the Student Senate and Graduate Student Senate elections.
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Olivia Arbogast
