You Decide: SGA Political Analysis By Tommy Oreste
Columns, UCF SGA, You Decide — By Tommy Oreste on September 14, 2009 at 12:18 amWith the 2009 Student Government Association Senate Election season now upon us, KnightNews.com is leading the way with exclusive analysis, commentary and coverage of what appears will be a very heated race.
For the first time, a campus news source is bringing in a former SGA senator, with plenty of sources and inside knowledge, to provide historic depth and detail through analysis and commentary of what’s really happening in the race to control the SGA senate — and the more than $14 million of your money in Activity and Service Fees.
Our political analysts are free to share opinions and insight in their columns, however, our news reporters covering the elections are not, and must remain completely unbiased.
Newly named KnightNews.com political analyst and former Sen. Tommy Oreste kicks off our 2009 SGA Senate Race coverage with this exclusive analysis:
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When the dawn breaks and the polls open for UCF’s student Senate elections this fall, one thing is for certain: there will be at least two major tickets battling for control of arguably the most influential and representative branch of Student Government.
If past experience has taught us anything, it is also likely that there may be at least one, if not more, smaller tickets that usually distinguish themselves either by college, or by ideology, as is commonly the case with the Progressive ticket.
For those of you who remember the Presidential elections from last Spring, it appears as though many of this Fall’s election participants have chosen similar sides yet again
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BECOME AN ANALYST: If you’re not in SGA, but used to be, apply to be an analyst.
Brian Peterson and Andrick Lewis were elected in a highly competitive and intensely fought election defeating Andrew Stein and Chase Peckham.
Among the many student senators who supported Peterson and Andrick was the current incumbent Speaker of the Senate Patrick Stauffer.
Stauffer, as well as other members of student government have organized a ticket that appears to include himself, as well as current Senate Pro Tempore Josh Miller and several other incumbent Senators.
The Speaker position is highly coveted, not to mention quite well-paid, so it is not a surprise that Stauffer is looking to get his job back. Often times the ticket that wins the majority of the seats, has the ability to elect the Senate leadership, as is the case in all levels of government with a two-party system.
However, it will not be a walk in the park for Stauffer’s ticket to win a majority of the seats this Fall.
It appears as though the formation of a predominantly Greek ticket, with members who were supportive of Stein and Peckham in the most recent presidential election, may be a major obstacle for the incumbent speaker to overcome. Stein, now a KnightNews.com entertainment reporter, says he is not running in this race.
As for the Greeks, it was not long ago when they had a stronghold on Student Government, and it appears as if they are looking to regain some of that prominence this year.
This ticket also appears to have the support and experience of numerous Student Government veterans, including former Sen. Jereme Pozin.
Every year there are Greeks spread throughout the different tickets because the support of their respective organizations makes them great running mates. If they all stand together this year, the status quo could be overthrown and an entirely new 42nd student Senate and leadership could emerge.
Regardless of the outcome of this fall’s election, there is no doubt that it will be hotly contested. Pizza will be bountiful, laptops and tables will be at the entrance to every building and campaigners will nag you to vote every chance they get.
Look forward to Senate elections 2009 as they should be quite the scene!
Our exclusive analysis at KnightNews.com will continue over the next few days with more depth and detail about this election.
Stay tuned for updates.
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19 Comments
Everyone should just quit their whining already and just wait until elections start next Monday to see who is actually running and their proposed changes to SGA. There is another article on the site that has a video clip with members from the opposing “greek” ticket. Stop trying to identify the difference between an analysis and an opinion. Personal biases are always going to be present in media and it’s just a matter of trying to suppress them as much as possible.You should not be relying on one news source for all of your information anyway. Look at the ideas proposed by all candidates next week and make a decision based on what you think will be most beneficial for UCF not what you think on the surface is how people want you to vote.
“With only selfish views in mind, these students have held reign for about 2 years. Finally a good ticket is running and I am so glad to see this up and coming website covering the information. ”
Amazing, either you are ignorant or deceptive. The powerbrokers in SGA for the past several years have just been rooted out of Student Government in the last Spring election. This whole “With only selfish views in mind, these students have held reign for about 2 years” is completely false: one fraternity and its friends dominated SGA ever since the end of Sig Ep three years ago (and if you want to know which fraternity I’m talking about, look at what fraternity the past Student Body President was in year. Yeah, you know, LAST YEAR, and he was Vice President the year before that, as in TWO YEARS AGO, when his fraternity ALSO held Speaker of the Senate), and numerous people held positions in SGA not because of merit but because of political allegiance–and it showed. THAT is why you haven’t heard from SGA in, say, two years or so. Now there actually is diverse and inclusive representation in SGA, with people who actually do work and who actually care in the positions, and you think you can spout out that the opposite is true because this group has “been in SGA for two years”. Too funny. Know what you speak of before you actually speak.
Oreste is a good guy! But to choose him to do a unbiased insider analysis of the senate elections is impossible. So people, don’t expect that. What you guys could do is hire another “insider” from the Peterson/Andrick campaign who was a senator and is now not a senator and have their one sided views be broadcasted too. Rather than just Oreste’s semi-bitter tone giving all the juicy inside gossip.
About “the machine” that is attempting to form a ticket for senate elections… that is great that peopl ewant to get involved. No matter what the personal reason is for doing it, cause I am sure most are linked to future Pres and VP elections and cabinet members etc. its still cool to see people trying to get involved, BUT its a little weird that the “greek community” (if we even have one) is forming an all Greek ticket when the other ticket is full of Greeks as well and the current senate is full of greeks too. i am starting to think thhis all greek ticket ticket is a special niche within the greek community, so i think right now we have a great balance of “machine” and other students and our senate does a great job! I am in favor of whoever has the best platform and ways of accomplishing that but I think I know who does. Experience is key!
I remember being at Senate the night the budget was being reviewed for my RSO and former Senator Oreste resigned before probably the most important business of the year was to be reviewed. Nice pick on your expert guys. For the record, I like this site and agree the cff sucks!
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – Once again students have returned to the University of Alabama with a white president of the Student Government Association.
Only one black has been elected SGA president at ‘Bama, in 1976.
Campus leaders say the record 53% turnout in the spring election signals a more diverse SGA may be at hand. They also say the difficulties of minority candidates stem not from racism but the longstanding clout of a secretive organization known as “the Machine.”
It’s a coalition of all-white Greek fraternities and sororities that is said to have dominated campus politics at Tuscaloosa for more than a century.
Online voting that was allowed this year helped boost turnout and could put a dent in the Machine’s power in future elections.
“For the first time, a campus news source is bringing in a former SGA senator…”
Did’t the Future used to have Sean Lavin working for them after he left SGA?
You are all a bunch of idiots, its the first fucking article, I highly doubt this going to be it. The future is a fucking joke, please.
cant even compare the 2. knightnews is a joke…
The Future article doesn’t even say anything about the tickets. And guess what? It shouldn’t! Campaigning hasn’t even begun yet… most of the candidates aren’t even declared. Just because it allowed CURRENT SENATORS to speak (like it’s such a crime) doesn’t mean it’s allowing promotion. What did either of those quoted SGA officers say to promote their own means? Because one explained that there would be higher voter turnout and more incumbents running? Because the other said it wasn’t about the money? Get a life
It’s pretty interesting how people are quick to protect this article as “showing the other side” but how is it better than the Future when it is clearly favoring one side here? It doesn’t “show” anything about the other side other than what it wants its viewers to see. For the one, it is calling a triumph in some kind of amazing new Greek ticket while on the other, it is criticizing it because it has experienced people. In all actuality, any bias is negative! This “analysis” is nothing but the mouthpiece of insider trash! Don’t pretend that it isn’t that. Don’t pretend that it’s anything better than what the Future put out because it’s just a promotion of one side over the other. Same thing! Call a spade a spade, don’t be a hypocrite.
I agree with Quity Crying. There is NOTHING wrong with this commentary. If you ask me, it is actually more fair than what the future put out.
How is it fair for the future to interview the top two leaders in the senate for its “article” and give them free publicity, ask no tough questions, let them say wonderful things about themselves, without presenting the other side AT ALL?
The fair thing to do as a journalist, would be to quote the competition too, or get quotes from the UNBIASED ELECTION COMMISSIONER to explain how the process works and all that INSTEAD of giving the incumbent a bigger advantage than they already have.
Why is the future giving one side glowing coverage while ignoring the other?
Oh yeah, doesn’t SGA pays them tens of thousands in advertising money?
It seems like the future wants to protect its investment.
Dear knightnews,
This is a wonderful article. It seems to me, as well as many others, that the same group of people has been running SGA too long. With only selfish views in mind, these students have held reign for about 2 years. Finally a good ticket is running and I am so glad to see this up and coming website covering the information. The good thing about the ticket, which is sitll unnamed, is that although there are many greeks, there are also new students who are not yet involved on campus being given the opportunity to bring fresh ideas to the table, rather than making SGA one big clique. So congrats to the new unnamed ticket. Good luck and see you out there. The new ticket has my votes!
“You decide.” some joke that is, how the hell can i “decide” if i don’t know the other side of the story.
cff sucks so i hoped this site would be credible but it looks like they’re doing the same shit show that i always see
#1. What was biased about this analysis? He just pointed out there is another side and it wont be a walk in the park, I thought that was interesting information. He didn’t trash anyone or take sides.
#2. If it showed an opinion, WHO CARES? It is being presented as COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS instead of news, and they say that right up front.
CNN and Fox News all have political analysts… and they are openly biased.
Fox hired this guy who used to run Democratic campaigns for commentary:
http://www.foxnews.com/contributor/bob-beckel/index.html
They hired this guy to give analysis too:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,2156,00.html
CNN is very up front about their BIASED anaylsts/contributors:
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/carville.james.html
James Carville is a Democratic strategist who serves as a political contributor for CNN, appearing frequently on CNN’s The Situation Room as well as other programs on all CNN networks. Carville remains active in Democratic politics and is a party fundraiser.
I love hearing the inside story and I love how knightnews has analysts to lay it all out… I read the future today, and they didn’t even know there was another ticket or anything about it. They dont have any of the juicy stuff to show how this race really will be fun to watch.
Now I agree if knightnews actually assigns biased reporters to cover NEWS articles about the campaign, that would be messed up. Let’s wait and see… I have a feeling it actually will be FAIR AND BALANCED when they do.
Isn’t this supposed to be an independent news site? Is this how all the coverage is going to be? Shame on you
Yeah, this really gives a lot of credibility to the site. I guess the owner has really put his personal friendships aside to ensure fair coverage. He couldn’t possibly want his own friends’ ticket to win and therefore be implying negative things about his, excuse me, his friends’, opponents!
Wow, I’m SO glad that this site is so fair and balanced. I really hope that Stauffer’s ticket loses too and that he loses Speaker, just like you guys. This is the best source of unbiased information ever. GO KNIGHTNEWS!!!!!
I’d personally like some more competent senators who actually put forth an effort to make information available to students rather than the passive “Yeah, just file this form with us and we’ll have a copy of that for you when it’s convenient.” I’m still waiting on a copy of minutes from last year to come through… been waiting for a good 8 months now.
Seems like there’s a bit of a bias here…