If you read my letter in the last issue, you already know that someone from one of the other UC colleges (each Student Government body, including RWC’s, is called a Tribunal) commented to me that while we had 19 voters in the President/Vice-President general election last year, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get 100 votes out of RWC this year. Well, shame on them. This year 201 RWC students went online and exercised their right to choose someone to represent them next year from afar at main campus. In fact, out of the fourteen separate colleges voting in this year’s election, we came in fourth in overall number of votes.
The breakdown goes like this: Arts & Sciences–610, College of Business–354, Engineering–322, RWC–201, University College–198, OCAS–181, etc.
There were 2310 total votes, with Ron Ricks and Justin Gibson receiving 43.5 percent. Many of you met Ron or Justin when they came to the campus during the pizza event on the first day of voting. I believe the students made a good choice. I have gotten to know Ron over this past year and have worked along side him at retreats, the leadership conference, and when we went to the Statehouse to lobby for higher-ed funding.
I am happy that the free pizza event was able to turn 151 students into voters, but it is really great that 50 other students chose to vote later of their own accord. I have been promised that next year, we will get a cookout (hamburgers, hotdogs, all the trimmings) similar to what the other colleges were given that week.
For many different factors, our own Student Government elections have been pushed back until May 13 and 14. I hope to see as many people vote for leadership here at RWC as they did for main campus.
Thank you for your time
Tim Bentley, SG President