2023 Senate and region elections results announced
Results for the second week of the 2023 Utah State University Student Association elections were announced Wednesday at 9 a.m.
On Monday and Tuesday, students voted for the officers for the Eastern Service Region Council, Academic Senate, Statewide Campuses Executive Council and Logan Campus Executive Council during the second round of elections.
The Logan Campus Executive Council includes the Logan Campus vice president, the Logan Campus Athletics & Campus Recreation executive director, the Logan Campus Diversity & Organizations executive director, and the Logan Campus Student Events executive director.
The Logan Campus vice president-elect is Emily Smilanich, with 100% of the votes.
The Logan Campus Athletics & Campus Recreation executive director-elect is Tate Bennett, with 57.57% of the votes.
Bennett thanked the HURD for its support.
“I’m excited to work for the student body at the sporting events, make them super fun, make them belligerent,” he said. “Make the HURD the biggest, most impressive student section in the nation.”
Several elected students pose with friends after the election results are announced. (Photo/ Heidi Bingham)
The Logan Campus Diversity & Organizations executive director-elect is Alex Garces, with 51.85% of the votes.
Garces said his first feelings when the results were announced were gratitude and a sense of accomplishment. His first priority once in office will be to pick up where the current Diversity & Organizations executive director, Noah Evaga, leaves off and meet with Dr. Jane Irungu, the vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
“It’s not my show in there,” Garces said. “Nothing about the position is about me. It’s about everyone at Utah State, so I just want to make sure that we’re making positive success and continuing what is going on.”
The Logan Campus Student Events executive director-elect is Avery Barton, with 100% of the votes.
Barton ran unopposed, which meant she could have “a lot of fun with it.” During elections, she focused on reminding people to vote and putting out a survey to see what students want from events.
“I know I didn’t necessarily need to go around campus and campaign or anything, but I just wanted to show people that I care and that I really am excited for this,” Barton said.
Students also voted for the Academic Senate, which is made up of the senators for each of the nine colleges at USU.
Fran Simpson is the Caine College of the Arts senator-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Carlie Peterson is the College of Agriculture & Applied Sciences senator-elect, with 56.94% of the votes.
Agriculture & Applied Sciences senator-elect Carlie Peterson smiles after hearing she won. (Photo/ Heidi Bingham)
Isabelle Santini is the College of Engineering senator-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Colin Hastings is the College of Humanities & Social Sciences senator-elect, with 55.23% of the votes.
Jaxton Winder is the College of Science senator-elect, with 50.85% of the votes.
Chloe Richmond is the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services senator-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Bryce Von Niederhausern is the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business senator-elect, with 53.58% of the votes.
Sarah Pope is the School of Graduate Studies senator-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Nate Omer is the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources senator-elect, with 100% of the votes.
The Statewide Campuses Executive Council is made up of vice presidents from each of USU’s service regions.
Riana James is the Blanding Service Region vice president-elect, with 66.67% of the votes.
Emily Davies is the Brigham City Service Region vice president-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Myra Beecher is the Eastern Service Region vice president-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Sydney Smith is the Moab Service Region vice president-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Kinzey Greenhalgh is the Southwest Service Region vice president-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Melissa Reedy is the Tooele Service Region vice president-elect, with 77.78% of the votes.
Meagan Saloga is the Uintah Basin Service Region vice president-elect, with 100% of the votes.
Jenelle Richie is the Wasatch Service Region vice president-elect, with 100% of the votes.
The Eastern Service Region also has an Eastern Service Region Council, which includes the Eastern Service Region director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Eastern Service Region director of Student Events, and the Eastern Service Region student advocate.
Haylee Prescott is the Eastern Service Region director-elect of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, with 100% of the votes.
Sailor Jensen is the Eastern Service Region director-elect of Student Events, with 76.27% of the votes.
Shaun Bryner is the Eastern Service Region student advocate-elect, with 65.38% of the votes.
This year, USUSA elections used ranked choice voting. For races with more than two candidates, the candidate who received the least amount of votes was eliminated, and their votes were redistributed to other candidates until an individual had 50% or more of the votes.
More details about the results can be found at usu.edu/involvement/elections/results.
— darcy.ritchie@usu.edu
Featured photo by Claire Ott