Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Vacant

Tony Teixeira found out he was FAU’s new student body president on April 26. The political science major had won Student Government’s top post by 63 votes — or roughly 4 percent out of the 1,575 votes cast.So when Teixeira went to sleep that night, he expected to wake up in charge of SG’s $6 million budget and seven SG employees. Instead, on his drive to school, a friend called him to tell him the election was put on hold. If Kirk Murray, his opponent, has his way – Teixeira won’t ever wake up as president this year. Less than two days after the polls closed, Murray contested the election. Three weeks later, the student body president’s office on the second floor of the University Center remains vacant. No one knows for sure when it will be filled – or by who. And for the first time in recent memory, FAU is left without a SB president. According to the administration and some SG officials, one thing is for sure though – the blame rests with last year’s Student Government leaders. But which leaders is still a matter of debate. Some officials place all of the blame on the outgoing president while others blame the University Wide Council – SG’s top 13 members. Kelly Gladwish, outgoing Treasure Coast governor, said that the elections supervisor is not at fault but instead, “it was the UWC’s fault.” And Heather Boyer, outgoing senate speaker for Jupiter, feared the election wasn’t fair and “the UWC was at fault.” They blew their deadline to hire an elections supervisor – by six months – and he was forced to scramble to put together an election in only three weeks.If the election had been timely, however, any disputes may have been able to be settled before the end of the semester. Elections supervisor, Bryce Jones, also blames the current situation on last year’s UWC. He said he was forced to come up with an election timeline before he had time to contact all the necessary parties that would be involved.This could have worked if this had been a normal election year. Turns out, it was anything but. When four students announced their candidacy for president, another first in recent memory, the possibility that a run-off election would have to be held seemed very likely.And that’s exactly what happened. Six days after the regular election, a run-off was held and Teixeira was declared the winner. While Murray knew that the run-off would only be held for one day – he still contested it. And according to Jones, he even agreed to it. The reason two-day elections are preferred is to give all of the students a chance to vote. Since many students only come to campus on certain days such Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday a two-day election is more likely to give everyone a chance to vote. So why was there only a one-day run-off in the first place? According to Jones, the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County act as poll workers for SG elections and because they were not given enough time they were only able to commit to one day. Teixeira was stunned when he found out about the dispute. “On what grounds,” he said. “It didn’t make sense, everybody knew this situation before it happened. I was like, it was fair for both of us. Nothing he mentioned would have adversely affected him and not me.”When Jones found out that the election was being contested he thought it would be against Teixeira. “I didn’t expect I would be the defendant,” he said. And after reading it he was “shocked, especially at how petty some of the stuff was,” including complaints that there were no polling locations at FAU’s smallest campus, SeaTech. And according to Jones, there’s never been one there. When Murray was contacted to get a statement he said, “I cannot make any comments. I have legal representation.” He also said he would get back with the lawyer’s phone number – he didn’t. Nor was he able to give the UP his running mate, Austin Shaw’s, contact info. Jones said Shaw also agreed to the one-day run-off. And in fact, he said Shaw expressed concerns over Teixeira disputing the election if he lost. Jones assured him that would not happen because everyone agreed to it. However, Jones does admit that there’s nothing in writing and said, “I didn’t think it would come to this.” Gladwish said that was Jones’ one mistake. “It’s his fault he didn’t get it in writing.”Teixeira was also surprised to find out that Murray had hired a lawyer. “He must be very passionate or he really doesn’t like losing,” he said. One day before the semester ended, Jones and his elections commission made the decision to let the election stand and said, “It is the elections commission belief that Mr. Murray has failed to prove that elections were not fair and just and has failed to prove that decisions made by the Supervisor and Commission affected his chance of being elected. Therefore, the results of the runoff election shall stay valid.”Teixeira was then told by administrators to go a head and plan his inauguration ceremony for the following Tuesday, May 7. And so for three days Teixeira again believed he would be FAU’s next student body president. Not so fast. The process was halted for a second time after Murray appealed the decision to the student court. But there’s a problem with that – there hasn’t been a full student court in over a year. So according to SG rules, the UWC has to assume the role of the court in the absence of one. This would be somewhat equivalent to the United States Senate assuming the role of the Supreme Court. Normally the administration is weary of meddling in SG politics even when SG violates their own rules. But in this instance, because of a three-day gap, between the old UWC and new one, the administration stepped in.Less than 24 hours before the inauguration was to take place, Student Affairs met with the General Council, FAU’s lawyers, and decided to stop Teixeira from being sworn in the next day.But rather than solving the problem, they’re leaving it up to the new UWC to do that. The administration announced that Kim Nyugen, the newly elected Boca governor will have to assume the duties of president until the UWC can decide what to do.Jones wasn’t happy with the administration’s decision because the UWC would ultimately be hearing the case. “I don’t think it’s right what the administration did because everyone that ran is on someone’s ticket,” and added that his elections commission is in this process for “a fair election.” Then he asked, “Why does the student court get to make the final decision?”However, Nyugen said, “I believe the [elections] timeline should have been followed.” But just because she was on Murray’s ticket doesn’t mean she cannot be fair. “Acting as president you have to be fair.” While Gian Amato, governor of the Broward campuses, said, “Some procedures were overlooked,” and, “definitely a new election should be held.”Ian Depagnier, senate speaker for Jupiter, said he believes the election was fair. “Absolutely, all parties were given notice. All parties had the same time to campaign,” and he doesn’t think a new election should be held.As of press time, still nothing had been done. The first UWC meeting of the semester lasted less than five minutes according to Paul Lowe, Treasure Coast governor. Nyugen told the other members that no business would be conducted and quickly adjourned it. In fact, it wasn’t even decided when the next meeting would take place. According to SG rules, the appeal has to be heard by the student court within 15 academic days. And Lisa Bardill, associate dean for student affairs, said that if the UWC decided to hold a new election, according to their rules, it would have to be done within seven days after the ruling. So if all those days are added up, FAU should, at the latest, have its next student body president by June 9 – but don’t count on it.Not enough time was the biggest problem that Jones ran into preparing for the last election. And if he has only seven days to put together a new one he said, “Nothing’s impossible so to speak but it’s going to be very tough,” and added “I had barely enough time with three weeks.” Bardill hopes that the new SG has at the very least has learned “the importance of following their constitution.”As for Teixeira, in the meantime, he said this whole situation has been “Up and down, back and forth – an emotional rollercoaster. Making me old.”

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