Despite multiple grievances, setbacks and allegations of blackmail, the student voter population remains confident in their original choices for the 2007 Student Association presidential election.
According to a reaction survey of 50 Binghamton University students, the presidential scandal has had little effect on their original opinions of who should be elected to office.
Of the students that did vote, most had no intention of letting either candidate’s allegations sway their decision for the revote, which is scheduled to take place this Thursday.
Last week, the SA was rocked by two grievances filed against David Bass. The first ‘ that Bass had failed to file his financial paperwork by the deadline ‘ established that there would be a rerun. Further charges of sexual blackmail by David Belsky threatened to kick Bass off the ballot entirely until the decision was overturned by the SA’s Judicial Board because of a lack of evidence.
Unfortunately for the SA, this setback in the presidential race may have left a bad taste in voters’ mouths. In many cases, this has served as fuel for an already unfavorable bias toward the SA.
‘I didn’t have much confidence in the SA before and this only reaffirms it,’ said one BU student who wished to remain anonymous.
‘When students go to the polls, they want to know their voices will be heard,’ Bass said. ‘They want to know that what they say actually matters and will not be thrown away over a mere technicality.’
Bass, who won the first vote against David Belsky by 321 votes (a margin of approximately 18 percent), remains confident in winning the revote and believes that the student body still supports him.
‘This [event] may even mobilize students to do even more since it shows just how much a change is needed,’ he said.
The effects can already be seen throughout the student body. For all those who have been turned off by the complications in the presidential race, there remain plenty who have had their interests piqued by the news.
‘I have never really seen the SA do much of anything, but this news makes me interested for once,’ said Ryan Laranger, a graduating senior.
This effect is one that the Student Association can be thankful for, as more and more students begin to view the SA as useless. Several of the students polled ‘ who participated in the voting process ‘ did not care either way toward the outcome of the presidential election. Rather, they were drawn by the New York Public Interest Research Group vote.
‘I really only voted on the NYPIRG [referendum]. The presidency doesn’t really matter to me,’ said Christina Kim, a senior.
According to David Hagerbaumer, director of campus life and who has been working at BU for over 20 years, opinions of the election ‘ and then numerous grievances ‘ vary widely.
‘The students I have talked with are all over the place on this. My guess is that there are those who are totally immersed in this and those that don’t even know what is going on.’
While this may be true, a visible trend in student opinion is the significant lack of faith and interest in the SA, demonstrated by the low turnout in the elections on March 5 and 6: Only 1,943 individuals out of a student body of approximately 14,000 cast their votes.
Still, Hagerbaumer views this as an opportunity for the Student Association to take advantage of.
‘ As with every issue or challenge that comes around, this is an opportunity for the SA to lead. Students will watch this closely to see how this is handled,’ he said. ‘It is a great opportunity for the SA to show students what student government at Binghamton is all about.’
Some, like Laranger, find the scandal to be out of place in a college student association election.
‘This sounds pretty ridiculous, I mean ‘ blackmail?’ said Laranger. ‘It’s only the SA presidency after all.’
Still, Belsky maintains a positive outlook on the future of the SA’s image.
‘When this is all over and done with, we need to make sure that nothing the SA has accomplished moves backwards,’ said Belsky.