After numerous rounds of applicants and interviews, and weeks of deliberation, the Senior Class Council and SGA announced that JaEric Brooks- Shoffner is Mr. Senior 2010-2011.
This past April, e-mails were sent to the students stating that SGA elections were soon to be underway.
Immediately after the deadline for applications, the campus saw a profusion of signs, posters, buttons and pins.
When the results came in, both the student body president and vice president were elected, a number of secretarial offices were filled, and a senior class president was chosen, but the Mr. Senior position was vacant.
SGA proceeded with business as usual, as the new members adjusted to their titles and offices.
“The only logical choice of action was to abide by the constitution and appoint individuals for the rest of the council, so I accepted and reviewed applications and letters of intent, and promoted the vacancies on the council,” said Lauren J. Waters, a social work major, and this year’s Senior Class President.
“The students of the class of 2011 are incredibly resilient, and intelligent; however, it was very disheartening to learn that there were not any men within the class who desired to run for not only Mr. Senior, but any position on the council.”
Waters chose the candidate she said was most qualified.
However, with new Student Affairs administration implemented over the summer, it was discovered that the candidate chosen did not meet the requirements to hold a senior position.
“The [SGA] constitution states that the senior class president holds the rank to make a decision in these types of situations, but an eligible candidate was required to have 90 hours by the end of the spring semester,” Vivian Spencer said.
Spencer is the Senior Class Adviser.
After a second upset with another candidate, the SGA executive board voted to have special elections during the fall.
E-mails were sent to the Senior Class notifying them that the opportunity was available to run for Mr. Senior.
Three candidates on the ballot were JaEric Brooks-Shoffner, Joshua Chavis, and James Walker. And with a total of 56 votes, Brooks-Shoffner won.
Out of 1,462 seniors eligible to vote, about 9 percent participated in the voting, with 125 ballots cast.
“We were excited to finally be finished with the selection process, and to have someone serve as Mr. Senior, but the fact that the student body didn’t really take part was disappointing,” said Amilca O’Connor, a rehabilitation studies major, and Miss Senior 2010-2011.