The University Board of Elections announced the results of this year’s student body elections Friday evening at Jefferson Hall, including an uncontested College Judiciary Committee election and several more hotly-contested class- and school-specific races.
Third-year College students Timothy Kimble, Rosa Waters and Bhargavi Munukutla will serve as College UJC representatives. Second-year Michael Bunting took the Engineering Council vice president election, second-year College student Jack Vallar won the Class of 2016 presidential race and third-year College student Blake Griggs edged out fellow College student Kieran Dhaliwal in the Class of 2015 vice presidential contest, with 567 to her 478 votes.
Kimble, Waters and Munukutla all said UJC needs to improve outreach efforts within the University community. Kimble said UJC continues to play an important role on Grounds.
“UJC overlaps with other groups’ missions,” Kimble said. “[I] would like to collaborate with other groups where missions overlap.”
Waters said the UJC had relied too heavily on its educator support officers, rather than Committee members themselves, to educate students in the past.
“[We should] use [our] position as representatives from [the] College to take active role in educating the community about what UJC does,” Waters said.
Munukutla said she worked with Kimble when he served as senior educator this term, and looked forward to continuing the relationship. Kimble and Waters said the other incoming College representatives shared a vision for the Committee.
Only 18 percent of College students voted in the UJC election. Waters won 77 percent of all votes cast, Kimble won 71 percent and Munukutla won nearly 60 percent.
Vallar, who defeated current Second-Year Council President Andrew Kwon, a College student, said he aims to make Third-Year Council more representative of the incoming third-year class in hopes this would increase attendance at Council events.
“[I want to] try to have more diversity on Council, and try to make sure more groups are represented so that students feel more interested in attending events,” Vallar said. “More diversity will create a better appreciation of other students within the class.”
Vallar said he and incoming Vice President Parisa Sadeghi, a College student, share common goals. The president and vice president of each class must select members to serve on class council. Vallar received 820 votes to Kwon’s 686, while Sadeghi beat Conrad Tindall, a College student, 951 to 488.
Bunting said his top priority is improving “E-Week,” a celebration of Engineering organized by and for fellow students at the Engineering School every year. Bunting said participation, including that of his personal friends, was low.
“Next spring, my goal is to have as close to 100 percent participation as possible,” Bunting said in an email. “And I plan on achieving this goal by increasing awareness of the events and by increasing the amount of ways students can participate.”
Bunting said student input should drive the Engineering Council’s agenda, aside from certain annual events.
“I also intend to use the feedback to pursue as many additional side projects as possible, with the only limiting factor being what I and my fellow students can come up with,” Bunting said.
Bunting defeated second-year Colin Baker by just four votes — 257 to 253.
Griggs said his first goal was to increase the number of applications for Fourth-Year Trustees, who also have a five-year commitment following graduation.
“We always have such a large turnover rate,” Griggs said. “[The challenge] is getting that new half [of the incoming Trustees] that’s not really involved in student government [to apply].”
Griggs said the new Committee’s first challenge will be planning Lighting of the Lawn and graduation without the Rotunda. Griggs said he, incoming Fourth-Year President Will Laverack, a College student, the Rotunda Restoration Committee, Vice President Pat Lampkin, Dean Aaron Laushway and the fire marshal will meet Monday afternoon to discuss the two events.
“[One] of the ideas that [has] been tossed around [is] just kind of flipping it around,” Griggs said.
Griggs said he appreciated the incoming fourth-year class’s attendance at Council events thus far.
“Right now our class has been much more dedicated than other ones,” Griggs said. “Hopefully we can keep that going.”
Katie Grimesey contributed with reporting.
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