FRI 19 NOV 2004
Hansen wins by landslide
By Jacob MorrisArgonaut Staff
ASUI election sees biggest turnout in four years
By taking a few moments early this week to either cast their ballots online or make a quick stop at a campus voting booth, 1,172 students made their voices heard in the 2004 ASUI elections, electing Autumn Hansen and Jess Helsley ASUI president and vice president. The results were announced Wednesday night in the Idaho Commons.
Jared Desjarlais / ARGONAUT - Autumn Hansen was announced the winner of the ASUI presidential election Wednesday night in the Idaho Commons Rotunda.
Hansen and Helsley were elected by 835 of their peers, taking 48 percent of the vote. Tom Callery and Alex Stegner received 33 percent, and Mike McElhinney and Luke Edwards received 18 percent.
Hansen said she and Helsley plan to start working as soon as they are sworn in Dec. 13.
“We don’t want there to be any lag time,” Helsley said, referring to the transitional period between administrations.
“We’re going to hit the ground running,” Hansen said.
Hansen said she thought the deciding issues in the election were related to safety and she intends to pursue plans for an alcohol task force that is in its beginning stages in the current ASUI senate.
The new team intends to improve relations with the Idaho State Legislature through Marty Peterson, special assistant to UI President Tim White and UI lobbyist, and an ad hoc committee organized by presidential candidate Tom Callery and his running mate Alex Stegner. Callery and Stegner will remain members of the ASUI senate through spring semester 2005 and said they are excited to begin working closely with their newly elected leaders.
Stegner commented on his loss, saying, “Well, we gave it our best shot. And that’s democracy for you; you can’t argue with that.”
Hansen and Helsley said they saw things in Callery and Stegner’s platform that were appealing and possibly could be implemented.
“It was really exciting to see that passion in the candidates,” Hansen said.
The new ASUI administrators said they hope to create a more well-rounded student experience in which students can put trust in their professors. They want to implement an “experiential advising” program to make the student advising process more efficient.
“I have worked hard to establish my credibility,” Hansen said. “People know us; they trust our leadership.”
In an emotional conversation with his daughter, Hansen’s father, K.C. Hansen, said, “Just make sure everything you do you can look back on and be proud of.”
Hansen assured her father that she would do just that.
Callery and Stegner are not sure if they will run for the executive branch next year, but said they have not ruled out the possibility.
“I’ve got a lot of time left here at UI, and next year I’ll be a year wiser and a year stronger,” Stegner said.
ASUI senators also were elected Wednesday. The seven new senators include Kirsten Cummings, Eric Everett, Travis Galloway, Kris Kido, Brady Lang, Ryan Marsh and Hartley Reidner, who will be sworn in Dec. 13.
Today
Diversity training certificate series: “Cross-Cultural Issues in Performance Management”Administration Building, Room 217
noon
“UI: Idaho Gem and Other Stories”
UITV-8
6:30 p.m.
“UI Voices”
UITV-8
7:30 p.m.
ASUI senate meeting
UITV-8
8 p.m.
Sunday
SRC food and fitness drive; SRCbring two cans of food
noon
Monday
Fall recessFall recess is Nov. 22-26 at UI
News Editor: Jessie Bonner
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