The voting window for the Student Government elections closed Wednesday night, and only two people on campus know the results – SG elections commissioner Jacob Gower and University Information Systems manager Claude Rodriguez Jr. The results will remain sealed until 6 p.m. tonight at a formal announcement at the Memorial Tower where they will announce the next Student Government president, vice president, University court justice, Union board representative and college council senators. Candidates contending for top SG offices shared their feelings leading up to the big day and touched on how they expect the results to pan out. SG presidential candidate Taylor Craft and vice presidential candidate Wesleigh McLeod agreed they do not expect to win, but they are hopeful about the possibility. “I am not nervous about the results because I never truly thought we would win,” McLeod said. Both history sophomores said they are excited just to have had the opportunity to run in the election. Craft said though the chances of winning are slim for the “Do Nothing” ticket, it is not impossible. Craft cited several reasons his ticket may lose. “We don’t have the name recognition, we don’t have the money, we have never been in Student Government, we are not Greek and we do not have a support base,” Craft said. But Craft’s unfavorable predictions about his ticket do not mean he is giving up. “If we run in the future, I think we would have a better shot because people would know who we are,” Craft said. “There was a mix up with the name of our ticket – people didn’t really know what it was about. But I wouldn’t change the name – I love it.” If the “Do Nothing” ticket wins, McLeod said she would “jump up and down” and would not know how to react. But Craft said he knows exactly how he would react. “I’d probably climb into the LSU clock tower naked if I win,” Craft said. SG presidential candidate Dixon McMakin and his running mate Kristin Oaks, senator for the College of Agriculture, echoed similar sentiments of excitement and anticipation. McMakin, SG director of athletics, said he is not nervous about the results because he thinks “Vision 2008” has a good shot at winning. He said the hours leading up to the announcement will be a “relaxing breath of fresh air.” “It is joyful to hear people say they have voted for you. It is hopeful to hear people say they might vote for you, and it is saddening to hear people say they will not vote for you,” McMakin said. “But in the end, you are just glad they voted.” Oaks said she is hopeful the work of “Vision 2008” during the past four months will pay off. “We started our hard work in December – planning, getting the issues together, going to organizations and finding out what they care about,” Oaks said. Oaks said she would be grateful if she won, and she said shaking the hands of her opponents would be her first move. “I would tell them they have run a great campaign, and I would thank them for keeping it clean,” Oaks said. McMakin said “hugging his mom then getting a stiff drink” would be his first point of action. SG presidential candidate Colorado Robertson said he is confident “The Foundation” will win the election without a run-off. “Our issues resonate with the students and connect to the student body,” Robertson said. “We will not make empty promises.” Robertson said regardless of who sweeps the election, good candidates will be selected for all college councils. Robertson and his running mate, mass communication junior Shannon Bates, both said they plan to catch up on sleep in the hours leading up to the announcement. Bates said she is confident and foresees victory. She said the butterflies she had before the candidates debates have fled. “We have utilized every possible avenue and asked past students who have run the pros and cons,” Bates said. “It’s about making sure we prepared. So regardless of the outcome, we can look back and know we did the best job possible.” Robertson and Bates said they plan to celebrate with the people who have worked the hardest and supported their ticket if elected. “I would probably go to Serrano’s for a victory party,” Bates said. “And I would go if we lost.”
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