Panthers elect 2014-2015 student representatives

Jeffrey Pierre/Assistant News Director

Alexis Calatayud and Tiffany Roman Biffa were elected Student Government Association president and vice president at Modesto Maidique campus for 2014-2015.

Students and faculty celebrated the winners, both executive and senator, by dousing the students in the Graham Center fountain ­––all in playful spirit.

Calatayud and Biffa, both members of Coalition F-I-YOU, take office May 12.

“I’m excited to build our team,” said Calatayud, political science sophomore. “We’re intimate friends with a lot of the student groups on campus and I want our administration to lay a foundation of how student government should work with the university.”

Their F-I-YOU platform includes points on campus innovation, development and growth, and student development and career success.

[pullquote]Calatayud, political science sophomore: “We’re intimate friends with a lot of the student groups on campus and I want our administration to lay a foundation of how student government should work with the university.”[/pullquote]

Calatayud’s opponent, FIUNite’s Philip Koenig, was allegedly disqualified and has three violations filed against him. The elections commission has not confirmed this, however.

According to Koenig, these three violations go against a 2012 case Robillard vs. Election Board that set the precedent of violations based on third-party members affiliated with the campaign.

Koenig said that he will continue to fight the three charges filed against him–– all dealing with someone violating campaign rules while wearing a Koenig-McLamb campaign shirt.

In 2012, the court found:

[T]he Elections Code governs the conduct of candidates, parties and their supporters who act on behalf of the candidate. Thus, the Court finds that it would contravene the entire purpose of the Elections Code to allow candidates to use third parties to violate the Elections Code.

Koenig said, alongside an election he was wrongfully disqualified from, he’s witnessed what he claims is excessive amount of involvement from administration.

“They’ve [administration] had their hands in the cookie jar for the past three elections,” Koenig said. “I think Alexis is a fantastic person but let us run.”

According to the final election results, the margin was slim. After 2,354 students voted, Calatayud-Roman finished with 1,204 votes and Koenig-McLamb finished with 1,150 votes.

FIUNite got 16 out of 22 senate seats.

Jazmin Felix and Camille Williams were elected president and vice president at Biscayne Bay Campus.

For the full list of SGA-MMC elections results, click here.

–jeffrey.pierre@fiusm.com