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Exclusive content
Tuesday, April16, 2013
Volume 60, Issue 13
www.southerndigest.com
Referendum No. 3, SGA procedure questioned Caesar Smith Jr.
The Southern Digest In amazing turn of events Student Government Association Senator Clifton Blouin delivered a bombshell charge that implicates those who have been elected to serve as SGA officials. In an early morning meeting Monday, Blouin revealed his disagreement with SGA senators falsifying documentation for this election’s referendum No. 3. Blouin contested his name on a bill listing him as an author and a cosigner without his
knowledge regarding referendum No. 3. “Referendum 3 was first introduced by Timothy Pickett to create a scholarship and loan program to be presented before the Senate. The bill was shutdown, later revised and re-presented adding language for a bus, which was defeated after its introduction,” said Blouin. Referendum No. 3 was presented to senators Friday in an emergency meeting called by SGA Vice-President Bryson Alexander in his office. Blouin and others were not aware at the time Referendum 3 had no written bill, which
is required to place it on the ballot. A mass text was received from Senate President Pro-Tempore Sara A. Martin advising him of a meeting at or around 9:00 a.m. According to Blouin, Bryson Alexander presented the bill verbally and asked if there were any questions. There was no written bill, only a transcription of what would be on the actual ballot. Blouin said, “He had just an overview of what would be written on the bill, but there was no official bill written before then to be voted upon. You can’t officially vote on a
referendum or a bill unless it’s in written form, not verbal form. And signed.” Blouin confirmed bills are to be signed by all parties involved (The author(s) of the bill, the president of the senate, the SGA president and the SGA advisor) “Yesterday (Sunday), Bryson called and asked me for a template. I was really busy with my campaign and couldn’t help him at the time; he said he would call Sara. I met with Sara at nine, we went campaigning together,”
See Blouin Speaks out page 3
Bray earns top office, Referendums & amendment passes
Ariana Triggs/DIGEST Ariana Triggs/DIGEST Jonas Vanderbilt, director of student programs along with Willie McCorkle III, 2012-13 Student Government Megan Henderson, a senior apparel merchandising and textile major from Association President announced the winners of the 2013-2014 SGA elections in front of T.H. Harris Hall Extension, Shreveport smiles after it is revealed she is the Association for Women Monday. Vanderbilt explained A run-off between Sara Martin and Di’Shun Melbert for SGA Vice President. Students president-elect. Henderson clinched victory with 523 votes.
Evan Taylor
The Southern Digest Simone Bray, Ayanna Spivey win big while Sara Martin and Di’Shun Melbert look towards a run-off election. All the referendums and constitutional amendments were passed by large margins. For Student Government Association President Bray won outright with 50 percent plus one votes. Simone Bray, 20 year old from Baton
Rouge, La. garnered 780 votes. Bray lives by Romans 12:2, and is the 2012-2013 Student Government Chief Justice. Others in the running were, Isaiah Edah-Dike, Phillip Cox, and Tywond McGee in order of most votes. For Spivey, Mayweek proved a good-luck charm for her and her sorority sister Bray. Spivey a 20 year old from Moreno Valley, Calif. garnered 751, the lion’s share of the vote. She loves to smile and wishes to make Southern University a better place for the
Photo courtesy of Wil Norwood Overwhelmed with emotion of winning Miss Southern University, Ayanna Spivey (right) cries tears of joy with her God-mother Jeannathan Anderson outside the T.H. Harris Hall Extension, Monday. Spivey garnered 751 votes.
student body. Breanna McQuarter came up short with 376 votes. Sara Martin, 20 year old from Denham Springs, La. earned the majority of the vote garnering 477 votes. The 20 year old Lives by “work hard” Loves “God and his favor on my life.” Even that collective wasn’t enough to knock Di’Shun Melbert, completely out of the election. Gary Williams II and Steffen Lewis followed behind in third and fourth respectively.
For Chief Justice, Vance Mitchell , 21 year old from Atlanta, Ga. garnered 671 votes. He loves food and hates snakes. While Clifton Blouin a 2012-13 senator fell below in voters. For Junior Class President, Nicholas Harris, garnered 131 votes of the total junior class electorate. He wants to Strengthen Leadership and promote Academic Achievement.
See Election Results page 4
Ariana Triggs/DIGEST An emotional Simone Bray cries after the news of her new position is delivered, Monday in front T.H. Harris Hall Extension. Bray became the SGA President-elect by 780 votes over Isaiah Edah-Dike (156 votes), Phill Cox (138 votes), and Tywond McGee (41 votes).
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