Last Tuesday, 19 percent of Wisconsin’s eligible voters cast a ballot in the state’s primary elections, a number just 1.2 percent higher than the number of Marquette students who voted in the Marquette Student Government general elections last Wednesday.
Elections Coordinator Erin Shawgo announced last Thursday that 17.8 percent of Marquette students voted to fill seats that included residence hall senator spots, a number up from 10.9 percent last year.
Open seats are still available for commuter, Carpenter Tower, and McCabe Hall senators. There are four open seats for off-campus senators.
The most hotly contested race in the MUSG elections took place at O’Donnell Hall, where freshman Jack Howard squeaked into office with 51.8 percent of the vote in a two-way race. Howard is in the College of Communication.
Of last year’s senators, only former O’Donnell Hall senator Chris Stewart will be representing his new residence hall. Stewart was elected one of the two senators for Schroeder Hall.
Legislative Vice President Trent Carlson, a junior in the College of Business Administration, thanked the outgoing senators Thursday night for their service.
The newly elected senators will attend their first MUSG senate meeting this Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union.
In other MUSG news, MUSG President Meghan Ladwig, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, announced that following a meeting with the Athletic Department, season ticket prices for this years men’s basketball games will not be raised.
Ladwig also said MUSG has been in “constant conversation” with leaders from the school’s LGTBQ community, and the Office of Student Affairs is looking into providing further resources to the groups and their allies following last year’s failed College of Arts & Sciences dean search.
She said at the meeting that the university may be looking to provide a location on campus for the groups as well as their allies to meet on campus.
Executive Vice President Joseph Ciccone, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, announced the voting on two requested Student Organization Allocation funds.
Both allocations passed unanimously.
MUTV requested and was allocated $3,415.61. These funds will be used to send reporters to the Big East Tournament in New York City, where they will conduct interviews and cover the men’s basketball team.
The Navy Nursing Corps Club requested $7,752.16 and was allocated $4,332.00 for the cost of transportation for speakers.
