Voting for freshman elections will take place Monday, Sept. 21 from midnight to 5 p.m. via Bleu Connect.
DU Courtbouillon
NEW ORLEANS (September 16, 2020) – Dillard freshmen will cast virtual ballots via Bleu Connect on Monday to elect fill four class positions in the newly restructured Student Government Association and the Royal Court.
Voting will occur from midnight to 5 p.m. Monday, with a watch party at 7 p.m. in Lawless Chapel.
Campaign events were scheduled for this week, and the run-off election is set for next Wednesday.
For a couple of years, student government allowed candidates to win with a plurality rather than a majority vote, so it held no runoff elections. Now, candidates must garner 51 percent to win a spot outright.
Nineteen students are seeking the positions of Miss and Mister Freshmen, freshman senator and freshman class representative. The new governance structure, approved by a revision to the SGA Constitution, means class councils now have a senator and representative rather than a president and vice president.
Traelon Rogers, SGA president, said the change was made because the old structure was unwieldy and inefficient; this way, he said, each class has access to more funding.
Candidates for the positions, with majors where available, include:
– Miss Freshman (seven candidates): De’Ante Hills, psychology; Zaria Ivory, music industry; Trinity James, nursing; Zakirah Fields, biology; Kennedy McCaskey; Alana Taylor, mass communication; and Ryana Woods.
– Mister Freshman (four candidates): Jacob Bush and Dorhean Gaffney, both criminal justice; Tyler Finley, biology; and Keith Magee.
– Senator (four candidates): Brooklyn Anderson, film; Kayla Hemanes, chemistry; Landon Johnson, computer science; and Andrea Watkins, biology.
– Class representative (four candidates): Zharia Armstrong, criminal justice; Zion Lucien, mass communication; and DelKyra Williams.
A “Meet the Candidates” event kicked off campaigning Tuesday via Twitter and Instagram. Other planned events include:
– Speeches and debates: 6 p.m. today via Zoom Webinar. The Center for Student Engagement & Leadership will send a Zoom link to student emails.
– The Royal Court showcase: 6:30 p.m. Friday in Georges Auditorium.
