Ending a two-month saga, Kelley Hampton (SFS ‘05) and Luis Torres (CAS ‘05) were sworn in as the 2004-2005 GUSA executives Tuesday night. The GUSA Assembly met to hear the findings of the Constitutional Council and to certify the results of the disputed election.
For a second and final time, the Constitutional Council overturned the Election Commission’s disqualification of the Hampton-Torres ticket. The results of the Feb. 9 election were then certified by the GUSA Assembly, with one dissention and one member abstaining. After a brief recess, Hampton was sworn in as president and Torres as vice-president.
Tuesday’s assembly lasted only 40 minutes, but represented the final chapter in an ordeal that has lasted over two months. Initially, Adam Giblin (SFS ‘06) and Eric Lashner (CAS ‘05) ticket was named the winner due to excessive fines levied against Hampton and Torres. The Constitutional Council later overturned these fines.
Giblin and Lashner, who had already begun the transition process and had interviewed candidates for executive appointments, expressed frustration.
Hampton recognizes the damage the election’s controversy has had on GUSA’s reputation. She said she is looking forward to addressing the question of “why do we have a student association” and believes that “we have reached rock bottom, and there is nowhere to go but up.”
