Approved Executive Board Candidates

(Information provided by Laurel Fuqua, Student Activities Center receptionist)

Members of the Student United Party will contest Paul Reid’s petitions to enter the April 2008 student government election as a candidate for student executive vice president.

“We feel that there is somewhat of a discrepancy between the petition that was submitted and the requirements themselves,” said Levi Bulgar, party leader and presidential candidate. “We feel that we met all the requirements and we will be in Ceci Brinker’s office as early as 8 a.m. to contest what’s officially on the ballot.”

Laurel Fuqua, Student Activities Center receptionist, confirmed at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday that all petitions had been reviewed for eligibility and three students were not eligible.

Four students, however, have been approved to run for student body president.

Dominic Capparelli entered the race under the Campus Action Party (CAP). Capparelli is the only member of the party. He is a sophomore communication major who helped his uncle, Jim Capparelli, run for U.S. Congress during the February primaries.

“I think it’s time to end the ‘business as usual’ era of Student Government, like the current administration has going for them now,” Capparelli said.

Capparelli said the low voter turnout will work to his advantage and that his competitors’ Greek alliances will not affect his campaign.

“I’m not worried about the voting right now,” Capparelli said. “Posters are being made as we speak, and I have a lot of Chicago supporters right now. The last election only turned out less than 10 percent of Eastern’s population.”

Voter turnout has been decreasing from 498 votes last April to 387 votes during the December 2007 election.

Student Body President Cole Rogers and two of the four vice presidents ran unopposed last April, but four parties are competing for control of the executive board.

The newly formed Students Wanting Action Today (SWAT) party has a candidate on the ballot for each executive position. Neither the Student United Party (SUP) nor United Party of Students (UPS) could acquire enough students to fill those ballot positions.

Both SUP and UPS have candidates for the positions of student body president, vice president for academic affairs and vice president for student affairs.

However, student senate member Tiffany Turner of SUP and Kevin Lee of SWAT are the only candidates for vice president for business affairs.

Eric Wilber of SWAT is the only candidate for student executive vice president unless Reid is allowed in the election. Wilber is the Student Government liaison to the Charleston City Council, an Apportionment Board member and an intern for Rep. Chapin Rose.

Bobbie Mitchell, the SWAT presidential candidate, said his experience as student body president at Lincoln Trail College has prepared him to replace Rogers at Eastern.

Bulgar, is the current student executive vice president and was the student vice president for business affairs last year.

UPS candidate Eric Hiltner is a current member of the student senate.

The candidates’ position on the ballot will be determined at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Bridge Lounge of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Election Commissioner Ashlei Birch will draw names from a hat.

Murray’s position may be reconsidered

Student Senate member Eric Hiltner claims Student Senate Speaker Megan Ogulnick refused to meet with him Monday to discuss re-writing the bill that hired Scott Murray as the marketing director for Student Government.

“Personally, I do not feel as though I ‘refused’ to meet with Eric,” Ogulnick said. “Rather than meeting with him and rushing into writing a new bill, I wanted to meet with Ceci (Brinker) first.”

Brinker is Student Government adviser.

On Thursday, Ogulnick deferred comment about Murray’s technical employment designation to Brinker. Murray was then labeled a “temporary student worker.”

Murray should become a paid liaison to the organization because the March 19 resolution that passed 19-6 to hire him violated the senate bylaws, Hiltner said.

Hiltner decided to approach Ogulnick on Monday to re-write the resolution, but Hiltner said Ogulnick didn’t show up to their 6 p.m. appointment.

Hiltner claims that Murray is acting as the organization’s director of public relations, a position that exists in the senate bylaws. Hiltner said the marketing director position does not exist, but Brinker insists the job is a temporary student aid position.

“I respect Eric’s opinions, and I will discuss them with Ceci this week and meet with Eric shortly,” Ogulnick said. “Ceci and I will be doing research this week and will look into possibly rewriting the bill.”

Ogulnick said she doesn’t want to begin a process that is not necessary and that she wants further assistance from her adviser.

The approved resolution authorizes Student Government to pay Murray $10 per hour, up to $500 per semester.

Rick Kambic can be reached at 581-7942 or at rwkambic@eiu.edu.