Voters reelect only 12 UA incumbents

Almost half the incumbent candidates lost. Greeks will fill 20 of the 25 seats next year. and Randi Rothberg In an election that saw both Undergraduate Assembly and InterFraternity Council leaders lobbying for votes, only 12 incumbents retained their seats on next year's UA, and Greeks won 20 of the 25 open slots. Over the past week, UA leaders used e-mail to campaign for incumbent candidates, after IFC President Matt Baker sent a message to fraternity chapters urging them to vote for the 28 Greeks on the ballot in elections Tuesday and Wednesday. Baker -- a College and Engineering junior and an Alpha Chi Rho brother -- attributed the high number of Greek candidates to a failed attempt to secure $20,000 from the UA to fund IFC social events next semester. His e-mail, which Panhellenic Council President Jessica Lennon forwarded to her constituents, suggested that IFC members hoped to control enough votes on next year's UA to ensure that fraternities do eventually receive funds. "This is our best opportunity to receive funding for parties," Baker wrote. "So get out there and vote." And last night, 19 fraternity brothers -- including some incumbent UA representatives -- and College junior Meredith Hertz, a Chi Omega sister and a UA member, won election. Candidates seemed to hold mixed opinions on the student government power Greeks won last night. "The public voiced its opinion and the school voiced its opinion," said College junior Adam Etra, a Zeta Beta Tau brother and newly elected UA representative. "I think it's going to do great things for the school." But some candidates were overheard lamenting that so many incumbents lost -- including some of the most active UA members in the past few years. The loss of UA Treasurer Steve Schorr, a Wharton junior, and Dave Futer and Mark Sagat, both College sophomores, particularly shocked some candidates. And the Nominations and Elections Committee disqualified College junior Larry Kamin -- the sitting UA vice chairperson -- for his violation of the Fair Practices Code. Kamin sent the unauthorized e-mail from the UA account urging student leaders to vote for incumbents. "Larry Kamin would give his life for the UA," one candidate said. But Kamin did not win enough votes to remain on the body, even without the disqualification. The NEC announced the election results last night after hearing the 44 charges of FPC violations brought against candidates -- mostly resulting from the two e-mails. Only Kamin, Wharton sophomore Luv Shah and Wharton junior Jed Prevor were disqualified. The latter two failed to file necessary documents with the NEC. Though the original complainants dropped most of the charges, the NEC proceeded with the hearing, eventually ruling that none of the incumbent UA candidates -- except Kamin -- or the Greek candidates were to blame for the campaign violations. Though turnout in the UA election reached 20 percent of the eligible student body, fewer voted on a constitutional referendum on the ballot, automatically defeating the measure. The top vote-getters from each school were Nursing sophomore J. Olivia Voellmicke, Engineering junior John Seitz, Wharton freshman Dan Kryzanowski and College sophomore Noah Bilenker. They won automatic seats on University Council. Other winners: Engineering sophomores Hadley Harris and Michael Bressler; Wharton sophomores Clive Correia, Roger DaSilva and Neil Sikder and junior Charley Margosian; and College juniors Lee Rosen and Mike Steib, sophomores Samara Barend, Carter Byrnes, Jeremy Katz, Andrew Ross and Olivia Troye, freshman Bill Conway, Matt Chait, Seth Kruglak, Sara Shenkan and Lori Taliaferro.