By Jaimie Leasure and Rachael Bentley
The ethics of certain SGA senators came into question during last week’s student government meeting when controversial campaign tactics for this year’s Senior Class President were raised.
In last week’s edition of the Recorder, Bobby Berriault made a few statements regarding his opponent, Matt Hubbard, both of whom are running for Senior Class President.
During the Student Government Association meeting last Wednesday afternoon, the day Berriault’s Letter to the Editor was published, Hubbard said “the comments published in today’s Recorder have attacked my character; I have no comments to say to the senator who accused me.”
Directly after Hubbard gave his oral rebuttal to the senate, Berriault attempted to counter the argument; but, before he could get out a sentence, senator Kory Mills, SGA treasurer, called for an executive session. An executive session requires that all guests and media leave the senate floor.
After the meeting, Berriault stated that the issue, “shouldn’t have been brought up in the first place because campaign stuff isn’t the business of the senate.”
Berriault accused Hubbard and Austin Swan, another student senator, of printing campaign posters in the student government office.
“I recently walked into the student government office and I caught my opponent and one of his campaign volunteers using the printer and computer to make, print and distribute his own campaign flyers,” said Berriault, in a Letter to the Editor, printed October 2.
The money that funds the SGA office is provided by the Student Activities fees. Berriault feels “it is wrong that senators can legally use our student government office for their own personal gain.” Each semester each student pays $44 that goes into the Student Activities fund.
The October 2 issue of The Recorder was the last print publication before the elections that took place on October 8. Hubbard was concerned that he would not have adequate time to voice his side of the story.
“I mean, if I was in his shoes, I’d be really upset too. But I did not force him to run for the Senior Class President. It was a choice that he made,” said Berriault.
Hubbard felt as if the alleged truths against him were “issued fictitiously as part of one individual’s aggressive campaign.”
The election for Senior Class President was held yesterday.