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It’s President Weaver
The X Factor: Party sweeps all but 1 seat
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Kaydee Weaver, a junior communication major
from Clearfield celebrates with Paul Shakespear,
a junior political science major from Tropic, after
it was announced that they were successful in their
bids for SUUSA president and activities vice president,
respectively.
KEN HANSEN / UNIVERSITY JOURNAL
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By KATIE ANDERSON
UNIVERSITY JOURNAL
Amid cheers and tears SUU’s student voices were
heard — the X Party resoundingly swept the general
elections for SUUSA Executive Council and Senate.
Only one non-X Party candidate was elected — Travis
Rudd from the Unity Party was elected as College of Science
senator.
“I’m speechless,” said Kaydee Weaver,
SUUSA president-elect. “My whole party got in except
for one. I feel a little somber for her but I’m
so excited and happy for the party.”
Weaver won with almost twice as many votes as Real Party
candidate Jed Montgomery. Before the results were announced
Montgomery said he is proud of his party no matter the
results.
“The party just has come together this week,”
he said. “I’m so proud of our party’s
perseverance, determination, passion and love. We’re
winners no matter what.”Rudd, one of two Unity Party
members to get through the primary election, said he thought
the X Party would
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do well but he wasn’t sure what would
happen with him because his party
didn’t do well in the primaries. He said he “feels
a little strange” to be the only member who wasn’t
from the X Party, but he is excited to work with them.
“We had pretty similar party platforms and I’m
really excited with the people who got elected,” he
said.
The X Party sweep came as a surprise to members of the Real
Party. Prior to the announcement, Laura Parson, candidate
for C&O vice president, said she thought her party would
do a great job.
Both Parson and Montgomery said they were shocked with the
results.
“I’m surprised that more people didn’t
take the time to find out about the senators in the Real
Party,” Montgomery said. “I’m disappointed
for SUU. I still resoundingly feel (the Real Party senators)
are the best.”
Paul Shakespear, academic vice president-elect, said his
party did so well because they were so willing to go out
and talk to students and the candidates “connected”
with the students. Aaron Miller, C&O vice president-elect,
said the X Party succeeded on such a level because it had
experienced candidates with good platforms.
“The student body made some wise choices,” Miller
said. “I’m confident in the abilities of everyone
that won.”
Michelle Caldiero, Real Party candidate for the College
of Performing & Visual Arts, was also shocked with the
outcome of the elections but said she has “all her
faith” in next year’s senators.
Montgomery said his party did the best they could and he
hopes his party succeeded in making the student body think.
“It’s really amazing the power a group of students
can have if they work hard and come together,” he
said.
Weaver is the only woman to be elected to the position of
SUUSA president in five years, said Kolby Day, academic
vice president.
However, Montgomery said he doesn’t think gender had
anything to do with the election results.
“At least I hope they didn’t,” he said.
“I hope the students voted for who they thought would
best represent them.”
While each of the winning candidates won by a large margin,
only 27 percent of SUU students voted in the elections.
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Columbia remnants
might be in region
By ELIZABETH MILLER
UNIVERSITY JOURNAL
Beginning in early April, Iron County Sheriff’s Office
will be searching Iron County for possible debris from the Feb.
1 Columbia explosion, Sheriff David “Dude” Benson
said.
“We were contacted by NASA in reference to possible shuttle
debris that might be in remote areas of Iron County,”
he said.
As the weather gets better and snow stays at a higher elevation,
a search will commence, Benson said.
Kim Pease, a representative from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, said any materials relating to the shuttle are government
property.
“The district U.S. attorney made it clear that this material
is needed by NASA to put the puzzle back to together,”
Pease said. “If people voluntarily give debris back to
law enforcement, there will be no problems. If they are caught
fording it, there could be negative repercussion.”
Pease did not know the magnitude of the repercussions.
Benson and Pease both alluded to the mystery that surrounds
the Columbia explosion.
“For the safety of future astronauts, we need to know
what happened,” Benson said.
The Columbia was scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center in
Florida at 9:16 a.m., but the shuttle was lost during re-entry.
It is still a mystery what caused the explosion, www.nasa.gov/columbia,
the Columbia Web site reported.
There were seven crew members, including one Israeli who was
the first Israeli astronaut to make it to space, who were killed
in the explosion.
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