Student Senate holds contested presidential election for the first time in several years
Joshua Burmeister (left) and Aarin Dean (right) shake hands in support of each other’s Student Senate presidential campaign.
Photo credit: Nora Betts
By Nora Betts
The two candidates running for Student Senate president said they are endorsing each other in the Senate’s first contested election in several years.
A Google Form ballot for the presidential race between juniors Joshua Burmeister and Aarin Dean is open to all undergraduate students until 5 p.m. on April 15, Senate officers said at Tuesday’s meeting. The ballot and campaign videos were emailed to voters by Student Services on April 9.
Burmeister said he and Dean are happy no matter who wins the election.
“Our platform is that it doesn’t matter who wins,” said Burmeister, echoed by Dean.
Burmeister and Dean said they worked together to create nearly identical campaign videos. Their videos highlight what they have in common, with clips alternating between the two candidates speaking.
The campaign videos detail commonalities between Burmeister and Dean’s lives like working in the mailroom, studying Hebrew and Greek, helping with chapel services, and joining and quitting the speech team.
The videos featured identical endorsements for Burmeister and Dean by philosophy professor Rev. Dr. David Coe, Greek and Theology professor Rev. Dr. John Genter, and current Senate President Aaron Fosse, among others.
Senate Vice President Victoria Perry encouraged students to vote in the election via the Google Form.
“Just a reminder to vote for our president for next year,” said Perry. “This is the first time we’ve had an election in a long time, so please participate.”
The other three Senate officer positions are uncontested. Quinlan Hendrickson will be vice president, current Senate Secretary Emma VanTol will be treasurer, and Kayla Korb, the current Sower photo editor, will be secretary for the 2024-2025 school year.
Maddy Peters, chair for the Senate election committee, said next year’s officers will be inaugurated at the Senate’s last meeting on April 21.
The Senate also approved its 2024-2025 budget of $75,000. The funds will be allocated to the Senate and to Senate-sponsored clubs who requested budgets.
