More than 800 Boston University students voted for their residence hall senators during three days of polling last week, doubling last year’s tally, according to the Student Union Elections Commission.
“I went through some records,” said SUEC Chairwoman Jeanette Jankiewicz. “We had about 400 people vote last year.”
Jankiewicz attributed the increase in voting in part to the large number of candidates this year, whose campaigns she said would naturally generate more attention. As of early last week there were 44 candidates vying for the 26 senate seats from BU residence halls.
Jankiewicz also said SUEC’s intensified advertising efforts and a prominent Union presence at freshman orientations also contributed to the record turnout.
Friday’s extended voting hours at the George Sherman Union also roped in many students who had not voted, according to Jankiewicz.
“We did get a really decent turnout,” Jankiewicz said. “It was a lot of people walking by who didn’t get a chance to vote or didn’t know about [the elections].”
Initially shocked by the turnout, Senate Chairman Joel Fajardo said he was pleased and encouraged by the numbers.
“Initially I was very surprised that there were so many votes,” Fajardo said. “It shows that this year’s elections were a lot more competitive.”
The competition, however, was not distributed evenly among all of BU’s residence areas. Despite crowded races in larger dorms like Warren Towers, only 21 of the 26 Senate seats were decided by last week’s elections. One seat from the Radisson, as well as two in Hamilton House and Towers, remain vacant, as no students ran from those residence areas.
Of the 44 candidates, nine from Myles Standish Hall, 1019 Commonwealth Ave., Danielsen Hall, the Cambridge Radisson and the Student Residences at 10 Buick Street claimed victory in uncontested races.
After a week of hard-fought elections, however, the future of at least three of the winning candidates remains in doubt. With the Office of Housing vowing to have the Radisson and Hyatt Regency in Cambridge evacuated of BU students by the spring semester, the senators from those residences may have their constituencies dissolved and their seat eliminated.
“According to the constitution, they will unfortunately cease to exist as senators if those dormitories are vacant next semester,” Fajardo said. “There is no clause or part in the constitution right now that provides for dorms being dissolved.
“Even if they were to serve as senators in some capacity, who really would be their constituency?” Fajardo asked.
That is just one of many questions that Fajardo said he and members of the E-board have to address in their drive to revamp the Union Constitution this year.
Jankiewicz agreed SUEC and the Senate were not prepared to deal with a dissolved constituency, but she said they were working closely to solve the problem and keep the soon-to-be excised senators involved in the Union.
“Joel and I have been working on that,” Jankiewicz said. “But they definitely wouldn’t be able to continue as senators.”
Both Jankiewicz and Fajardo stressed every attempt would be made to keep the future downsized senators involved in the Union through groups such as the Student Union Activities Board.
According to Jankiewicz, the Cambridge-side candidates were told before announcing their candidacy that their seats could be dissolved.
David Lim, a freshman representing the Hyatt, said he was dismayed he only had one semester to enact change, but he felt it was enough time to make a difference.
“I feel that as a senator, I can get things done within a time frame of one semester,” Lim said.
Other senators, whose seats are not in peril, have begun to prepare for the coming year. The first senate meeting is one week from today.
Meredith Rutrick, a freshman representing Warren Towers, said her interest in politics and decision-making compelled her to run for Senate.
“I’d like the kids in Warren to be more represented and communicated to,” Rutrick said. “I want to be a person they will be able to voice their opinions through.”
With such a large number of students in Warren Towers, Rutrick said campaigning to such a large, uninformed group of students was difficult.
“A lot of the problem is no one knows who’s running,” she said. “They’re ignorant of what’s going on.”
Rutrick said she fought this ignorance through a fierce campaign strategy, making her presence and opinions known throughout the hall.
“It was a matter of giving myself exposure,” she said.
Starting with soap in the bathrooms, Rutrick said she wants her constituency to know she will make changes and be a solid student voice.
In contrast, Amal Benaissa, a freshman from Morocco representing Myles Standish Hall, ran unopposed.
Benaissa participated in the student government at her high school in Morocco and said she hopes she can develop and maintain a link between her residence and the rest of BU.
“I’ve seen that some improvement in Myles is needed,” she said. “I want to find out what students want and be active in my field.”
Mike Bodek, a senior representing 10 Buick St., also ran unopposed.
Last year Bodek ran for vice president of student affairs aboard “The Student Voice” slate, which was defeated by this year’s E-board. But despite the loss, Bodek said he is determined to become involved with the Union.
Also a class officer in the School of Management, Bodek said he is dedicated to extending his influence all over the University.
“I wanted to affect the whole BU community and the University on a larger scale,” he said.
Bodek said he is also excited about the retreat this weekend to Lake Ossipee in Freedom, N.H., next weekend.
“I want to make the most of the money we have,” he said. “We have to put it to good use.”
According to Fajardo, the retreat, funded mostly from the chairman’s discretionary account, is aimed at increasing cohesion within the Senate and familiarizing new senators with the rules and responsibilities of their positions.
The vast majority of this year’s senators are new, Fajardo said, which means that special attention will have to be paid to educating them on how the Senate works. Only one of the senators elected last week has experience.
Fajardo said he expects more veteran senators once the rest of the schools and colleges notify him of their senators since SUEC elections only govern the residence halls.
Despite inexperienced senators, Fajardo said he is not worried.
“It’s not my main concern because whoever we have this year is going to be really dedicated,” he said.