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Thursday, April 9, 2015
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Directors Donovan, Martin resign SA
Greeks show talent on stage at sorority pageant
Keith Hernandez & Margaret Maka Managing Editor & Digital Editor
Ryan Ocasio | Northern Star
Serena Drendel, sophomore art and design education major and Alpha Phi member, sings Tuesday during the Greek Goddess and Dream Man pageant in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium. Delta Zeta holds the event every year to raise money for organizations that help people who are hearing impaired, such as the Starkey Hearing Foundation and the House Research Institute.
Turnout down in elections concern during his term will be maintaining and adding busiDeKalb | About 1,241 votes were nesses, keeping expenditures low cast Tuesday in the 2015 DeKalb and balancing the budget without aldermanic election, a 60 vote de- raising taxes. cline from the last odd-numbered ward election in 2011. In going door to door One alderman is elected from and talking with people, each of the seven wards in the city I learned there’s a great and serves a four-year term. The deal of cynicism about odd-numbered wards were up for government ... .” election this year. The aldermen Steve Kapitan Third ward alderman candidate compose the City Council, which serves as DeKalb’s legislative body. Kapitan, who lost to Marquardt First ward by nine votes, said voter turnout First ward Alderman David was less than average this year. Jacobson secured his seat on the Municipal elections have the lowCity Council with 116 votes, run- est percentage voter turnout of all ning unopposed, and said his ma- elections, Kapitan said. jor concern for the next four years “In going door to door and talkis finances for the city. Jacobson ing with people, I learned there’s said he would like to see DeKalb a great deal of cynicism about in a position where it is operating government,” Kapitan said. “You a sustainable, neutral budget with know they, people, see the corrupreasonably priced services. tion in government and that sours Jacobson said his biggest con- their view of government in genercern four years ago was safety. Co- al and often times they drop out of policing efforts between the chiefs the process. The low voter turnout in the NIU and DeKalb police de- is a reflection of that, and this elecpartments have allowed Jacobson tion was no different.” to shift his focus on finances. “When you’re so busy treading Fifth ward water, it’s hard to learn to swim,” Kate Noreiko took the fifth ward Jacobson said. “Now that those alderman position as she beat out things ... have certainly made ma- her opponents with 247 votes. jor progress ... I think the next four years will give me the opportunity ... I want to meet with to really push for better planning the city manager and the and better strategic visioning of economic development diwhat happens in the 1st ward gorector and find out what I ing forward and what the face of as an alderman can do to the ward and the face of the city further economic developwill look like both in a year, in four ment in the city.” years and in the far beyond future.” Kate Noreiko Andre Phillips & Satta Kendor Staff writers
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Fifth ward aldewoman-elect
Third ward Michael Marquardt’s 237 votes Noreiko celebrated the win at gave him a victory over opponent home with friends and said she Steve Kapitan, who received 228 wants to meet with city staff to get a votes. Marquardt said his major better understanding of issues soon
to be presented to the City Council. “I will need to learn the details of the budget,” Noreiko said. “I want to meet with the city manager and the economic development director and find out what I as an alderman can do to further economic development in the city.” Michael Haji-Sheikh said he was disappointed by falling short of a win with his 220 votes, but the loss to Noreiko was “not the end of the world,” as he plans to stay active in the community and attend City Council meetings to ask questions of the council. “I feel that local politics affect the way we do things,” Haji-Sheikh said. “I want to bring in jobs and create an organized environment where people want to stay.” Cameron Zelaya said he was happy his connection with the citizens in his wards earned him 102 votes, adding he didn’t take Noreiko’s win as a loss. “The best thing about being 24 is my future is right in front of me,” Zelaya said. “I’m going to take it one day at a time. I will still wake up tomorrow [and] take a shower, get ready for work and sell somebody some insurance.” Seventh ward Incumbent Monica O’Leary saved her 7th ward position by one vote, as she garnered 46 votes to opponent Craig Roman’s 45 votes. O’Leary nearly doubled her 26 votes from 2011, when she won the election by four votes. The alderwoman said she is thankful to DeKalb but hopes to make more of an effort to increase voter turnout. In the next year, O’Leary said she is focused on transparency in DeKalb and keeping the city within its budget. Challenger Roman said he will not seek a seat again. Roman ran in
Election results First ward
Third ward
David Jacobson: 116 votes (100 percent)
Michael Marquardt: 237 votes (50.97 percent)
Steve Kapitan: 228 votes (49.03 percent) Fifth ward
Kate Noreiko: 247 votes (43.41 percent)
Michael Haji-Sheikh: 220 votes (38.66 percent) Cameron Zelaya: 102 votes (17.93 percent) Seventh ward Monica O’Leary: 46 votes (50.55 percent) Craig Roman: 45 votes (49.45 percent) the 6th ward alderman election in 2009 and lost to 6th ward Alderman David Baker and he lost in the 2012 DeKalb County Board election. Roman said he will contact DeKalb County Clerk Doug Johnson to “make sure votes were counted.”
DeKalb | Two Student Association directors resigned from the SA shortly after the 2015 SA executive election was decided April 1. Governmental Affairs Director Ben Donovan resigned April 1 and Academic Affairs Director Alex Martin resigned at the end of last week, said Public Affairs Director Joe Palmer. Donovan was the presidential candidate for the Standing for Every Student ticket in the executive election and Alex Martin was the Voice of Change campaign manager. The members of the Voice of Change ticket won every position in the election. Donovan “cited that he wasn’t comfortable moving forward given the election results and [Martin] cited Ben Donovan that he needed Former SA director to focus on his of Governmental grades, and as Affairs Academic Affairs director he probably made the best choice,” said SA President Joe Frascello. The SA won’t Alex Martin Former SA director replace either of Student Affairs director position for the remainder of the semester, Frascello said. “We would like to have our full staff,” Frascello said. “Both Ben and Alex were good directors, but personal choices sometimes outweigh your professional choices.” Martin is a member of Phi Sigma Kappa with SA Treasurer-elect Marc Calvey and James Forman and Greg Lezon, SA Board of Election members. Martin did not respond to a request for comment. Donovan said he does not wish to work with the SA because he doesn’t think it is concerned with accountability, referring to an upcoming SA Senate hearing in which Senator Jake Swick will face charges of giving election information to the Voice of Change ticket. Swick is a Board of Elections member and Sigma Nu member with SA President-elect Nathan Lupstein. “At the end of the day, it seems to me from reading the bylaws and everything I know in [SA’s] procedures ... in a hypothetical world where Swick is convicted of violating his role as a Board of Elections member and as a Senator ... it stops there and there’s no other way to hold anybody accountable,” Donovan said. SA Senate Speaker Dillon Domke said there would be no reason to hold anyone else accountable because there is no evidence against anyone except Swick. “I can’t act on something that isn’t true or I can’t prove,” Domke said. Donovan said he may run for SA Senate in the fall.