Slate to run uncontested in election

When Temple Student Government
elections begin April 10 students should expect to have only one slate on the ballot.

“Owl Potential”, which includes TSG Vice President of Student Affairs Juan Galeano, Allocations Chair Eric Stephenson and Alumni Affairs Chair Nadine Mompremier, will be the only slate running for the upcoming TSG election, Elections Commissioner Seth Embry said Monday at general assembly.

Galeano, a junior political science
major, will run for student body president. Stephenson, a sophomore international business and finance major, will run for vice president of academic affairs and Mompremier, a junior law and business major, will run for vice president of student affairs.

Embry said he received several inquires about the upcoming election but “Owl Potential” was the only slate to obtain the 300 signatures necessary to be on the ballot. Although TSG is no longer accepting
applications for the election, a second slate can still run against “Owl Potential” as write-in candidates and do not have to formally apply with TSG or petition for signatures, Embry said.

Instead of holding debates, TSG will hold at least two open forums for “Owl Potential” to discuss their platform, Embry said. The tentative date for the first open forum is April 3 in the Howard Gittis Student Center Atrium at noon. The second open forum will be held April 9 at 4 p.m. in Walk Auditorium during general assembly.

A third potential open forum could be held on the Ambler campus sometime in April, Embry said.

When asked why he thought no one decided to run against his slate, Galeano said, “Students support us, they know we’ve done a great job and every one wants to see how far we can go.”

Junior political science major Tom Gallowitz, said he is disappointed no one else wants to run and that there will not be an actual election.

“The fact that there is only going to be one slate running is actually going to add to the apathy that we’re already seeing in the elections,” added Gallowitz, a member of Owls For Life. TSG is still required to hold an election for its three top positions, Embry said.

“The way Temple Student Government operates is there has to be an election and someone has to be voted into office,” Embry said.

“We can’t just appoint anyone.”

Sam Benesby and Tyson McCloud can be reached at Templenews@gmail.com.