TIGER TV ONLINE REPORTER
Fall 2009 Student Government elections opened on PAWS at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and will continue until 10:00 p.m. Tuesday night.
Most of the positions are unopposed, Brooksie Bonvillian, mass communications junior and the Manship School’s candidate for the Senate seat, said.
Bonvillian was elected Manship senator in fall 2008 for the spring 2009-Fall 2009 term.
She runs unopposed during this year’s fall election.
“I’ll win by default which is a curse and a blessing,” she said. “I do love a good election but it takes the pressure off of me and I really enjoy the students from the Manship School.”
Keely Knapp, a political science senior and candidate for the Arts and Sciences senator said the fall elections are smaller than the spring elections.
“The executive branch is the same throughout the year and they run in the spring,” she said. “In fall, people run to retain their seats so there aren’t as many new people campaigning.”
But Knapp is among seven candidates running for full seats with only four spots to fill.
As senators, Knapp and Bonvillian must attend weekly senate meetings and be part of one standing committee and their college’s student council.
Knapp is part of the External Affairs standing committee. External Affairs deals with the relationship between the University and the Baton Rouge community.
Bonvillian said Manship students approached her to ask her if she was running to maintain her position.
“I think it means I’m doing my job,” she said.
Bonvillian’s job includes talking to Manship students to see how they feel about different pieces of legislation that come before the Senate every week.
“I know how to vote on issues how they want me to,” she said.
Tuesday’s election also includes a referendum.
The referendum proposes to allocate Student Government funds to create a salary for the executive Vice President.
Currently, the executive President receives a salary and cannot hold an outside job while serving as President according to Student Government documents, Bonvillian said.
The Vice President’s position is unpaid, but very time consuming, she said.
“There will not be an increase in student funds by any means,” Bonvillian said. “We would just reallocate the SG budget.”
Log on to PAWS and click on SG fall 2009 Election under Student Services to vote.
Results will be posted Wednesday, November 4.
