Hoosier Compass ticket wins RHA re-election

The Hoosier Compass ticket nearly swept the Residence Halls Association elections, claiming three of four executive positions after Tuesday’s re-election in Ashton Center.

President Jessica Schul, Vice President of Internal Affairs Michael A. Coleman and Vice President of Programming Katie Lambert – all of Hoosier Compass – won their respective races.

But one member of the Chuck Norris ticket, Mary Kathryn Frederich, won the race for vice president of student affairs, defeating Sheldon Raisor of the Hoosier Compass ticket by 24 votes.

“I’m proud of myself, but I wish my whole administration had gotten into office,” Frederich said. “I’m happy one of us is in office.”

Frederich will be representing a different standpoint because she was on the opposing ticket.

“I hope everyone can move past this and work together,” Frederich said.

The re-election results can still be contested within 48 hours.

The Chuck Norris ticket contested the outcome of the first election, which took place March 3. The re-election Tuesday in Ashton Center – the only residence hall to re-do elections – yielded 127 new votes and altered Frederich’s race.

Schul said the Hoosier Compass ticket is a close group friends that has become a family.

“I’m happy that most of us got re-elected, but it is extremely upsetting for us that Sheldon did not obtain his position,” Schul said. “He was someone we were looking forward to working with.”

Schul said each executive helps determine the fate of the administration.

“We are all going to work in a professional manner and do the very best we can,” Schul said.

Junior Aaron Collins, presidential candidate for the Chuck Norris ticket, said he is happy with the results.

“I think the results shined a light on the proper voice that had not been heard in the previous election,” Collins said. “Had there been other re-elections at the dorms recommended by the election commissioners, the results could have been different.”

Initially, the RHA elections commission ruled that re-elections should take place at Ashton, Briscoe Quad, Willkie Quad and Read Center. But the RHA Judicial Board overturned the commission’s decision and ruled that only Ashton should have new elections because RHA ballots were not available there for most of the original election.

Collins said he is glad Frederich will be a member of the new RHA administration.

“She is a great asset for RHA to hold on to,” Collins said.

Because the Ashton votes determined the results of the RHA election, both the Hoosier Compass and Chuck Norris tickets were out campaigning throughout the day to make the name of their ticket known to residents.

Candidates from both tickets were greeting and introducing themselves to potential Ashton voters.

All campaigning had to occur 50 feet from the polling place to stay within the elections code.

Candidates are allowed to go around and campaign, but Schul said even if candidates are 75 feet away, it has the same effect on potential voters.

Members of the Chuck Norris ticket were handing out candy and giving out free coffee.

Senior Ben Siebert, Chuck Norris vice president for internal affairs candidate, said the candy helped with dialogue and gave candidates the opportunity to explain in a quick conversation what the Chuck Norris ticket wants to accomplish.

Collins said the coffee bar was set up to get Ashton residents to vote in the election.

“Everyone campaigns differently,” Schul said. “We campaign with a Web site, and they campaign with coffee and candy.”

Sophomore Jess Meyer, RHA election commissioner, said the increased advertising and student awareness of the judicial board’s decision brought in Ashton voters to the polling station.

The Ashton ballot was the same style ballot as the one used in the initial RHA elections, including the straight ticket option, Meyer said.

Although the polling station had an influx voters at various times, the campaigning outside was consistent.

Meyer said it was a hot race, and candidates were doing a lot to get out the vote.

The campaigning at Ashton was more intense than the initial RHA election as a whole, senior Eric Gibson, current RHA president and election commissioner, said.

“It was absolutely positive,” Gibson said. “It is unfortunate that this level of competition was not taking place closer to the first race. There would have been a greater likelihood that the problems would not have occurred.”