In an email to the Student Election Committee, members of The Rhettvolution slate for Student Union and The Daily Free Press on Saturday, Union President Arthur Emma apologized for his suggestion of foul play in the ongoing Union elections.
Emma, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, emailed the SEC last week, accusing the committee of overstepping boundaries and accepting bribes from Rhettvolution.
His email was a response to an April 19 cease and desist order given to Union executive board members that asked them to refrain from campaigning for the Build BU slate using Union Facebook and Twitter accounts, claiming it violated election rules.
“Although up until now, I have tried to be gracious, all of you need to learn your place,” Emma said in his initial email last week. “Your job is to simply regulate the election and to do so by checking the actions of slate members, not to give empty orders to the current leaders of the student body.”
However, in a second email to the SEC on Saturday, Emma apologized for his comments against the SEC and Rhettvolution.
“When I received the news of the SEC’s cease and desist order last week, I became so frustrated with the news that I pressed the send button before realizing the implications of my actions,” Emma said in his second email.
Emma said that while he still has issues with the SEC’s interpretations of election rules, “the SEC has done an excellent job running the election this year.”
His issues with the SEC should be addressed after, rather than during, the election, Emma said.
In addition, Emma said his accusation of bribery was “for effect alone” and stemmed from his frustration with the SEC’s order.
“The Student Elections Commission was glad to receive Arthur Emma’s apology and retraction statement,” said SEC chairwoman Mary Gameng, a School of Management junior, in an emailed statement. “It is clear to us now that even though he might disagree with our interpretation of the Elections Code he still respects our decisions and rulings.”
Gameng added that any changes to the election code can be submitted in writing within two weeks of the conclusion of Monday’s results announcement.
In spite of his support for Build BU, Emma lauded Rhettvolution candidates, “who would do an incredible job leading the Student Union next year.”
Rhettvolution candidate for Union president Demarius “DJ” Walker, a CAS sophomore, “is one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, and I believe he would help bring the Student Union to new heights if elected on Monday,” Emma said.
College of Communication junior Matthew Bae, Rhettvolution’s candidate for Union vice president, said he does not think Emma’s emails will have a significant effect on the election results.
“I think it was very sincere and very understandable, given how emotional [Emma] was following the cease and desist,” Bae said. “People who feel strongly about either side have already voted, but I do think it was something that needed to be said.”
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