By Amie Dahnke
Juniors Colton Coughlin and Alyssa Schmidt-Carr, the only two candidates for ASUP president and vice president to oppose the Green Fund resolution, won election in voting that culminated at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
The Green Fund initiative, which would have added a $10 per-semester fee to all full time undergraduate tuition, was also defeated. The resolution received only 43.5 percent of voter support.
The Endowment Resolution, which replaces the ASUP Carryover Fund with an endowment that will continually accrue additional funds, passed with 71.8 percent affirmative votes.
After learning of their victories last night, Coughlin, the president-elect, and Schmidt-Carr, the vice president-elect, said they will push for sustainable projects by using Capital Improvement funds.
"We're for green," Coughlin said, "We just want to pursue it responsibly."
Coughlin and Schmidt-Carr, who reaped 50.5 percent of votes, beat out junior Andy Taylor and sophomore Meghan Kirk and junior running mates Scott Olberding and Brooks Broom who earned 25.5 percent and 19 percent of student votes, respectively.
Wednesday night Coughlin said he is looking forward to next fall when he takes office.
"I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to lead the student body," Coughlin said.
Student voter turnout was lower than last year, according to ASUP President Kyle Bunch. Only 39.9 percent of the student body cast ballots over the past two days of elections.
"I am a little disappointed with the turnout, especially considering the great debates over the Green Fund," Bunch said.
Junior Steve Waters locked the position of ASUP treasurer, winning 61.9 percent of votes over opponent junior Greg Machado. Waters' background as an accounting major gives the current ASUP executive board confidence in his ability to be responsible with funds.
Junior Samantha Riofta was elected ASUP secretary, garnering 54.4 percent of votes over junior Jordan Joy and freshman Donald Drummond.
Junior Tarra McCurdy, who was unopposed, was decidedly reelected as CPB director, gathering 85.5 percent of the vote. Bunch said that McCurdy's experience as the current CPB Director will only help continue to do the job well, a sentiment that Schmidt-Carr concurred with.
"A big part of having successful campus life is the campus events," Schmidt-Carr said. "Tarra does such a great job already."
Schmidt-Carr, Riofta and McCurdy waited the night out at Schmidt-Carr's house. According to Schmidt-Carr, McCurdy was the first notified about her win via phone call and a minute later, Riofta received her announcement.
"I kept waiting and thinking, 'Where's my call?'" Schmidt-Carr said. "I live in a house with six girls so you can imagine what the reaction was like."
Citing the experience of the new executive board, Coughlin and Bunch said they are confident that next year's ASUP executive board will have a smooth transition into the next academic year.
"There is a lot of experience among them," Bunch said. "I am fully confident they will do a great job making ASUP a positive thing on campus next year."
Despite the low voter turnout, St. Mary's buzzed last night brimming anticipation - and brewing espresso - over the 2009 ASUP election results.
Just after 9 p.m., Bunch and ASUP executive board members emerged from the ASUP office to announce the election results to a small crowd waiting in the foyer of St. Mary's. Senior Ben Taketa, the brainchild behind the endowment resolution, was in the crowd, impatiently awaiting closure on the fate of the endowment fund.
"It passed," Bunch said quietly before Taketa erupted into a boisterous whoop of celebration. Dressed in a formal business suit, Taketa jumped around St. Mary's, screaming in disbelief that the endowment fund passed.
"That's the way we do it," Taketa shouted as St. Mary's patrons congratulated him.
"I'm just so happy it has passed," Taketa said. "This is the best thing to do with our money. When I'm a successful adviser, I'm going to donate my money to the endowment."
Taketa said the next steps for implementing the endowment plan is meeting with Finance Vice President Denis Ransmeier to work out the details and contracts.
Coughlin and Schmidt-Carr are also pleased the Endowment Resolution passed.
"We're being smart with our money," Schmidt-Carr said. "We're setting ASUP up for a successful future."
