With a participation rate of 30.9 per cent of the student body or 5729 votes, the Students' Society's spring election brought out one of the largest voter turnouts in recent memory. Last Friday, the results of the referenda questions and the new SSMU executive were revealed before a raucous crowd at Gert's.
This year's race for President between current Vice-President Internal Kay Turner and Arts Undergraduate Society President R.J. Kelford was one of the most contentious campaigns. With 54.5 per cent of the popular vote, Turner won the election against Kelford, with 39.5 per cent.
Although visibly disappointed, Kelford said that he hopes to remain involved in some aspects of student life in his final undergraduate year next semester, though he may direct his focus on volunteerism and the AUS.
Turner was elated with her success, citing the elected VPs as her ideal executive. In the coming months, Turner said she will begin to learn the President's responsibilities and build the connections to the administration necessary to her portfolio, adding that she "won't be taking over the portfolio until May".
Samantha Cook was declared the new VP Clubs and Service, edging out opponent Johnson Fung with 51.4 per cent of the vote.
Cook said that she was excited to take office and hoped to work with Fung on his proposals for increasing SSMU's Web presence.
"I'm looking forward to working in SSMU and looking forward to working with the people who have been elected," she said. "I think we know Johnson Fung has some great ideas, especially with the Web stuff, and I really do want to support his endeavours."
The second-ever VP Internal will be Julia Webster, who plans to focus much of her initial efforts to decreasing the carbon footprint of SSMU events.
"I'm really passionate and excited to work with the environmental committee and [to] make sure that Frosh is something that is more sustainable this year," she said.
2008 Woodie Awards
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