Rebecca McKinsey • Staff Writer • rm279109@ohio.edu
The SOUND party took all but one position in yesterday's Student Senate election, and many Prepared to Engage, Act and Respond candidates left the Baker University Center fourth-floor atrium in tears before results were finished being announced.
Academic Affairs Commissioner Jesse Neader beat City and County Affairs Commissioner Emily Hanford 2,217 to 1,390 for Student Senate president - a margin of 827 votes. Only one P.E.A.R. candidate snagged a seat on next year's senate as senator for the College of Fine Arts: junior Emma Hein, who defeated SOUND candidate Samantha Schiff, 62-54, according to the unofficial results.
My heart was pumping; I screamed
I think Neader said about hearing his name announced. I think this is validation of what I've been hearing from students. I felt like I'd be a good president to represent students; I wanted to be that voice.
Neader offered his congratulations to the P.E.A.R. member who won, adding he hoped to incorporate P.E.A.R. members in senate as commissioners next year.
Cheers echoed off the walls of Baker Center's atrium as about 50 people in neon-green SOUND shirts celebrated their 33 victories. Only about 20 people appeared in black P.E.A.R. shirts, and the defeated vice-presidential candidate Andrew Wade left immediately after Matthew Beddingfield's name was called, followed soon after by many other P.E.A.R. candidates.
I left when I did because I couldn't take it anymore seeing my kids
my senators
cry because they weren't elected
Wade said. They are better people and better senators than those who were elected. Tonight really sucked for us. It wasn't our night.
Beddingfield was thronged with hugs and tearful congratulations after the announcement.
I couldn't be more excited. I can't even breathe
Beddingfield said. Each and every one of the (SOUND candidates) worked harder than hard
and each and every one of them deserves this. We will follow up on every single thing we've promised
and we will give the students of Ohio University what they deserve.
Hanford - who was originally slated to run with Neader and Beddingfield, left and formed her own ticket - said she is worried about the senate's future.
I'm nervous (about senate next year); I'm nervous it'll be more about improving senate for (SOUND's members) and not for the student body
Hanford said. I don't feel Jesse or Matt have done anything to better the student body as a whole. They were disloyal to me on several occasions
and I don't think they'll hesitate to be disloyal to others in the future.
Neader said the group split after he said he would run only for president and Beddingfield and Hanford couldn't agree on who would run for vice president.
We didn't agree on how Student Senate should go
