Elections for RHA lack student involvement

After nearly eight hours, only about 135 students voted in the Residence Halls Association elections at Read Center, one of the 11 residence halls where votes could be cast. \nBut at Forest Quad, the numbers were even lower, with only 10 ballots cast.\nOn Tuesday, students could vote between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. in their respective residence center for the RHA elections.\n“It’s frustrating,” said sophomore Andrew Webb, president of Forest Quad, regarding the number of voters. “But it happens. The lack of advertising affected it, and we just received information yesterday to (work at the) poll.”\nAt Read Center, election commissioners enthusiastically asked any student passing by if they had voted yet, and one passerby even commented she “didn’t know how to vote.”\nThe response from the poll commissioner was, “it’s easy, just circle!”\n“People seem willing, if you catch people’s attention,” said sophomore Greg Jackson, vice president of finance for Read, who managed the polls. “Some people knew what RHA was, but some people needed an explanation.”\nJackson said most students were willing to vote once they knew of the election.\nForest resident assistant Savanah Franklin said Read’s layout allows students to pass by the center part of the building frequently. She admitted that if she didn’t have to go to Forest’s center building, she wouldn’t, and so the lack of votes for Forest could have resulted because the poll was located there.\nAfter conversations with many students, it was clear that lack of knowledge about RHA and elections contributed to a majority of students not voting.\n“I didn’t know enough about the people running, maybe if I knew of the candidates I would’ve voted,” said freshman Amy Kerr, a Teter Quadrangle resident.\nSophomore Meg Tresenriter said “I have no idea what it is,” regarding RHA elections.\nOther students said they were too preoccupied with studies.\n“We have an organic test,” said freshman Angela Liu, a resident of Read, while sitting with friends studying. “We’re preoccupied and not familiar with the elections.” \n“The Channel 4 News Team,” ran unopposed in the executive election. Sophomore Adam Pozza, elected RHA president, received 481 yes votes, and 31 no votes. \nElected vice president of internal affairs, sophomore Luke Fields won with 476 yes votes and 35 no votes. \nSarah Colan, elected vice president of student affairs, won with 480 yes votes and 29 no votes, while fellow sophomore Dan Sloat was elected to serve as vice president of programming with 474 yes votes and 33 no votes. \nThe results will not be made official until 7 p.m. this evening, as long as nothing is contested, said junior Meg Palm, current vice president of programming for RHA.\nThe newly elected RHA executives will not take office until April 1, and the current executive board will remain in office until then. \nThe elected officials for each of the 11 residence halls for president positions will not take office until then either.\nAll residence centers voted to select a president except for Eigenmann Center, Forest Quad and McNutt Quad, because no one ran for those positions.