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The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Election Roundup

Fantozzi disqualified from SBPM seat

Though he garnered enough votes to win one of two Senate seats for the School of Business and Public Management, Lou Fantozzi was invalidated as a candidate by the Joint Elections Committee, propelling Derek P. Grosso and freshman Megan Huszagh to victory.

Grosso won 30.62 percent of the vote to come in first place, Fantozzi 25.39 percent and Huszagh 23.26 percent. Jonathan Rosen, the fourth candidate for the SBPM seat, received 12.96 percent of the vote.

Terry Goddard, JEC chair, said Fantozzi knew he was ineligible several days before the election, but it was too late to remove his name from the ballot, and voters subsequently did not realize he was no longer running.

“I am on disciplinary probation due to an alcohol-related offense,” Fantozzi said. He said the incident occurred early in the academic year and he was unaware it would make him ineligible for the Senate.

Fantozzi said the JEC should have checked his eligibility several weeks ago, so he would not have been on the ballot.-Matt Katz

Meisner calls his ESIA victory a surprises

Exhilaration and exhaustion characterized the race for the two undergraduate Senate seats in the Elliott School of International Affairs, according to Phil Meisner.

“I am sick now because of it,” he said.

Meisner won 18.35 percent of the vote, second to sophomore Caity Leu who had 20 percent.

Both Meisner and Leu said they targeted Thurston Hall during the campaigns. Meisner said he felt mobilizing Thurston Hall residents was an important step in capturing the seat. Leu agreed, but said she focused particularly on freshmen students in ESIA.

Now that they have been elected, both Meisner and Leu are planning for the future.

Both said they are interested in improving the advising system in ESIA. Specifically, Leu said she wants to implement a faculty advising program and improve peer advising.

Meisner said he was surprised at the ESIA election results. He said he expected his opponent, Anthony Martinez, to sweep the race because of his position as president of the International Affairs Society.

Martinez came in a close third and won 17.89 percent of the vote.-Francesca Di Meglio

Freshman wins undergrad at-large seat

Melanie Witte and her green jacket, which she made a symbol for her campaign, will be sitting on the Student Association Senate next year after she won one of two undergraduate-at-large seats Thursday morning.

“I took a lot of flak for being a freshman (candidate), but tonight it has all paid off,” Witte said. She received 21.04 percent of the vote.

Sophomore Amina Chaudary secured the second at-large seat with 17.98 percent of the vote, edging out current Columbian School of Arts and Sciences Sen. Cat Sadler by 11 votes.

“I want to go out and be sure the undergrads are represented,” Chaudary said. “I want to be a good Senator.”-Dan Gabriel

Administrator wins GSEHD seat

Mike Gargano, executive director of the Student Activities Center, said he is interested in accepting the Student Association Senate position he received Wednesday.

Gargano, who takes classes in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, received one write-in vote for the Senate, which was enough to give him the seat.

“I want to accept the senator position from the GSEHD,” Gargano said. “I think it would provide me a great opportunity to learn, make new friends and to represent the GSEHD.

“However, I am going to leave it to students and the Senate to make the final decision,” he said. “If the students think there is a conflict of interest, I will not accept the position.”

Mike Walker, senior assistant dean of the Community Living and Learning Center, received the other GSEHD seat. He was unavailable for comment.-Matt Berger

Few turn out for SEAS racesTess Knudson said winning a graduate School of Engineering and Applied Science seat was a “joke.”

“The fact I won on three write-in votes is sad,” Knudson said. “Graduate students obviously do not vote, even more so than undergraduates.”

Knudson said she doubts she will accept the seat.

“I don’t think it’s fair to take the position and I don’t have any time to dedicate to it, ” she said.

This will be J.P. Blackford’s fifth consecutive year as a senator and his platform has not changed.

“I will continue to help representing views of graduate engineering students,” Blackford said.

Ali Husain won the undergraduate SEAS seat. His opponents, Grant Franklin Guthrie and Shelley Marella Mountjoy said their campaigns were based on an expected low voter turnout. Only 139 students out of 553 voted in this year’s election.

Husain won with 46.43 percent. Guthrie received 28.57 percent of the vote and Mountjoy received 24.29 percent. -Monique L. Harding

Famous names receive MCGB votesWith three candidates running for four seats on the Marvin Center Governing Board, anyone had the chance of getting their name on the ballot.

Although Tim Breslin won the spot with 63 write-in votes, Monica Lewinsky, Al Gore and Benjamin Netanyahu headed the list of celebrities who received votes.

None of the write-ins topped the three official candidates in votes. Mike Petron claimed first place with 1,105 votes, followed by Scott Levi with 1,075 and Andrew Benbasset-Miller with 1,018 votes.

“People showed an outside interest for what we worked for,” Petron said of the write-in votes.

The winners said although there were some joke entries on the results, they will take the job seriously.-Stacey Felsen

Familiar face returns to student governmentThe MCGB graduate-at-large seat will be held by someone with experience in student government – Damian McKenna, a former Student Association president who is currently a Presidential Administrative Fellow working for City Councilman Jack Evans.

McKenna won with 13 write-in votes. He said his friends joked about nominating him for the position, but said he was surprised he had gathered enough votes for a victory.

McKenna said he is aware of the responsibilities of the MCGB and said he feels he has the qualifications for the job.

He said the Marvin Center can be improved and cater to more graduate students by offering better food at competitive prices and increased services.

“Change needs to happen faster,” he said.-Stacey Felsen

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