While Student Senate celebrated, GSS candidates were faced with unforeseen issues.
While Ohio University Student Senate members celebrated victories and lamented losses in the Bobcat Student Lounge, Graduate Student Senate candidates faced an unforeseen obstacle — their election results were nowhere to be found.
Also missing from the scene was recently elected GSS Board of Elections chair Mitchell Smith, who could not be reached for comment as of press time. GSS President Eddie Smith could also not be reached.
Ian Armstrong and Angela Chapman, candidates for president and vice president of communications, respectively, awaited the results, which typically follow those from Student Senate.
“We were surprised that we did not hear the results of the GSS election,” Chapman said in an email. “After the announcement of the Student Senate election results, we spoke with Dr. Jenny Hall-Jones and have emailed the current GSS President, as well as the Board of Elections Chair for the GSS election, Mitchell Smith.”
Chapman added that Hall-Jones was unable to answer their questions, as she does not oversee the GSS election process. Additionally, Chapman said Eddie Smith was not aware of the results, and Mitchell Smith had not responded to their emails.
According to chapter 70 of the GSS Rules and Procedures, preliminary election results are to be available to the public “within 24 hours after the close of the voting period of the election.” Voting officially closed at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Originally several positions stood unopposed, but opposing candidates had been added to the following positions since the March 21 GSS meeting:
Vice President of Communications: Angie Chapman and Fatma Jabbari
Senator for College of Arts and Sciences: Pooja Chopra and Kevin Pomorski
Senator for the Center for International Studies: Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong and Senghuo Loem
Jabbari and Chopra were not previously declared candidates. The candidates for senator for the Center of International Studies were also not declared prior to the election and do not appear to be with the Five Point Plan, according to the ticket’s website. The remaining executive positions for president, vice president of legislative affairs and vice president of finance remain unopposed.
Armstrong, who currently serves as the GSS academic affairs commissioner, is accompanied on the ticket by Chapman, Ken Ward, who is running for vice president of legislative affairs and Alex Burke, who is running for vice president of finance.
The Five Point Plan focuses on five core issues in the graduate student community: transparency from OU's administration, providing an outlet for graduate students to voice concerns, improving community and university relations, creating a stronger graduate student community and improving health and safety conditions.
Four other senators for the Graduate College, Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Scripps College of Communication and Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs are also unopposed in the race.
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