Voting is officially open all day today, Thursday, in the 2018 Georgetown University Student Association executive election. Four tickets have hours left to make their final pitches to students as time runs out on the two-week campaign.
The four declared tickets are: Logan Arkema (COL ’20) and Jonathan Compo (COL ’20), Hunter Estes (SFS ’19) and Richard Howell (SFS ’19), Sahil Nair (SFS ’19) and Naba Rahman (SFS ’19), and Josh Sirois (SFS ’20) and Casey Doherty (COL ’20).
Per GUSA’s single transferable vote system, if no ticket receives an outright majority in the first round of voting, a runoff is conducted between the top performing tickets. The ticket with the lowest vote total is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on voters’ indicated second preferences until one ticket receives a majority.
Today’s ballot also includes a referendum electing GUSA senators by class year instead of by geographic districts and moving elections for nonfreshman senators to the spring instead of the fall. In addition, students living on East Campus, which includes the LXR and Nevils residential halls, can vote on candidates for an open GUSA senate seat.
Follow the links for full profiles of the executive candidates, including details of their policy platforms, personal backgrounds, experience and possible strengths and weaknesses.
Logan Arkema and Jonathan Compo Satirize Election
By Jeff Cirillo
Arkema and Compo are not like the other candidates running for president and vice president of GUSA. They go by the names of fictional comic book figures Batman and Robin, wear the characters’ costumes and admit they are hoping they will not win.
With their campaign, Arkema and Compo, a former cartoonist for The Hoya, join a list of past joke candidates who have launched campaigns focused on satirizing rather than winning. In an interview with The Hoya, Arkema, wearing a full Batman suit and adopting a raspy voice, said the primary goal of his campaign is “comic relief.”
“A lot of students get annoyed with GUSA campaigns,” Arkema said. “It’s nice to provide something that’s a little bit different, that kind of pokes fun at the general campus culture.”
Hunter Estes and Richard Howell Emphasize Cost, Community
By Jeff Cirillo
In Estes and Howell’s campaign pitch for GUSA’s executive offices, the candidates promise they will be the student body’s “bulldog” against the rising costs of tuition and mandatory textbooks.
Estes and Howell are running for GUSA president and vice president, respectively, on promises to reduce Georgetown education costs, as well as efforts to instill a sense of community and a culture of service on campus.
In an interview with The Hoya, Estes and Howell emphasized their extensive student leadership experiences, but acknowledged their similar personal backgrounds and conservative views may alienate some voters. They insisted they would “fight for every student” if elected, and said they hope students will evaluate them on their policy platform.
Sahil Nair and Naba Rahman Promote Diversity, Inclusivity
By Yasmine Salam
When Nair and Rahman first met on the national debate circuit their senior year of high school, they never would have anticipated that four years later they would run in GUSA’s 2018 executive election.
The pair promises to amplify student voices, running on the campaign slogan “Because Every Voice Matters.” Nair and Rahman have defined the executive’s primary role as facilitating students’ efforts and ideas. With limited GUSA experience and a less detailed policy platform as compared to their opponents, they are seeking to sell voters on their outside leadership roles and relationship-building skills.
“We are not here to be the face of every diversity group. We are here though to help those voices finally get a platform,” Rahman said in an interview with The Hoya. “Our job is to get them a seat at the table.”
Josh Sirois and Casey Doherty Tout GUSA Experience
By Elizabeth Ash
Emphasizing their campaign motto “Moving Forward,” Sirois and Doherty are running for president and vice president, respectively, of GUSA to champion existing projects and advance new ideas.
Sirois and Doherty are running on a detailed policy platform and a combined four years of student government experience, while attempting to shake the stigma of an establishment “GUSA insider” ticket.
Throughout their policy proposals, Sirois and Doherty stressed student empowerment, which they connected to one of their self-identified strengths: building relationships.
“So many of these ideas and these plans didn’t just come from Casey and I’s minds. We have sat down with club leaders. I sat down with GERMS [Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Services], and the president said he doesn’t think in history, any other GUSA candidate has sat down and asked them what they think,” Sirois said.
