The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 26, Ed. 1, Friday, April 10, 1981 Page: 1 of 24
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Optimist
April 10 1981
Abilene Christian University
Volume 68 Number 26
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Runoff
The candidates for SA president Rodney Smith left a junior business
major from Waco and Bart Castle a junior oral communication major
from Lubbock will be voted on Friday in a second runoff election.
Irregularities in the first runoff led to the decision for another vote.
Committee decides to conduct
second runoff for SA president
An arbitration committee composed of
three faculty members decided Thur-
sday that a second runoff election should
be conducted Friday between Students'
Association presidential candidates
Rodney Smith junior business major
from Waco and Bart Castle junior oral
communication major from Lubbock.
Steve Mack junior business major
from Lubbock was elected vice
president Tuesday and Jimmy Cawyer
junior accountingfinance major from
Dallas was voted treasurer after a
Wednesday runoff.
Members of the arbitration committee
were Mel Hailey assistant professor of
government; Gary D. McCaleb vice
president for public relations and
development; and Tommy Shaver
professor of Bible. The committee was
formed because of reports of
"irregularities" in the voting and
counting procedures in the first runoff
said Danny Beasley SA vice president
and election chairman.
"Each candidate selected one member
(of the committee) and then those two
people selected a third person" said
Beasley.
In its written statement the committee
said "After examining all the evidence
at our disposal it is our unanimous
conclusion that it is impossible to
determine clearly and without question
the winner in the election for the
presidency of the 1981-82 Students'
Association.
"We believe it is of utmost importance
that the president of the student body be
elected by the student body and enter the
office with the assurance that he has the
support of a majority of those who voted
in the election.
"It is therefore our unanimous
recommendation that another runoff
election be held on Friday April 10 to
determine the president of the 1981-82
Students' Association."
Beasley said irregularities in the
election included:
Reports of people who did not know
who to vote for who were offered
recommendations by women doing the
balloting
Photo bn Rodney Ooodman
Friday
Instances where one person had
control of the voting procedure and ballot
counting to herself.
One occasion when the polls ran out
of ballots for a period of time. Votes were
taken on paper not ballots and later
were transferred to official ballots.
Students vocally telling workers at
the polls who they wanted to vote for so
that it was not a secret ballot.
No place on the ballots for a student
ID number.
"Nothing intentional or malicious took
place" said Beasley. "It was just
careless acts on the part of
many. . . .Minor irregularities are ex-
tremely significant in an election where
two candidates are separated by one
vote."
In a recount of the runoff election
Wednesday Smith was found to have
won by one vote over Castle. After the
original presidential vote tally con-
ducted shortly after the polls closed at 5
p.m. Castle was declared the winner
with 618 votes to Smith's 582.
The result was posted in the Campus
Center and SA president John Tyson
announced at a Student Senate meeting
that Castle had won.
The official recount was ordered by
Beasley at the candidates' request about
10 p.m.
Both tallies were made by members of
the Campus Service Organization. Pam
Acuff CSO president said she had
doubts about the results of the original
count because no CSO member was
present throughout the entire count and
Kerry Kinard a non-CSO member
helped count ballots.
Kinard a sophomore from Sulphur
Springs said one of the CSO members
had told him he could help with the
tallying. "I wanted to help. It was no big
deal" he said.
"I did not and would not even think
about changing the ballots or stuffing the
ballots" Kinard said. "The reason why I
counted was because they needed help
and that was it."
After Tyson had taken the election
results to announce to the Senate the
(continued on peg A-12)
Class officer candidates sign-up
for elections to be this Tuesday
Twenty-seven students have signed in the
Students' Association office as candidates in
Tuesday's elections for class officers.
To be eligible to enter the class officer
races each candidate must tum in a
petition signed by 100 students to the SA
office by 5 p.m Friday said John Tyson SA
president.
Senior class presidential candidates are
Kel Hamby elementary education major
from Abilene; Jimmy Fagala marketing
major from Howe; and Randy Tucker
accounting major from Fort Worth.
Running for senior class vice president are
Terra Hardin social work major from
Lubbock; Mark Love Bible major from
Agoura Calif.; and Matt Zahodnik
management major from Weyburn
Saskatchewan Canada. Candidates for
secretary are Johanna Haltom English
major from Texarkana; and Barry
Wiseman music education major from
Sudan.
Students signed up as junior class
presidential candidates are Scott Boyd
chemistry major from Dallas; Jeff Boyd
Bible major from Austin; Mark Duncum
accounting major from Missouri City; Scott
Hughes business major from Amanllo and
SA to present
The Students' Association next week 'will
show "Whatever Happened to the Human
Race" a free five-episode film series on
social issues and the Christian's response
said Steve Bishop SA spiritual life coor-
dinator. '
The hour-long films will be shown Mon-
day Tuesday Thursday and Friday nights
at 7:30 p.m. said Bishop. One film will be
presented each night except for Friday
night when two films will be shown he said.
Students may view the first film Monday
night in the Main Room of the Campus
Center said Bishop. The remainder of the
films will be shown in Walling Lecture Hall
The first three films deal with the issues of
Financial aid office
prepares applications
The financial aid office will conduct
"business as usual" even though the
Congress has not acted on President Ronald
Reagan's budget proposal said Jerry
Mullins financial aid officer.
That proposal includes reductions in the
Basic Economic Opportunity Grant and
guaranteed student loan programs.
Mullins and all financial aid ad-
ministrators have been delayed in awarding
money to students by the uncertainty
caused by Reagan's budget proposal. Last
week's attempted assassination of the
president may cause even more delay the
financial aid officer said.
But after consulting other financial aid
officers and the chief administrator of the
Texas guaranteed loan program Mullins
said he decided to "go ahead with the paper
work" required to prepare student awards.
Abo the financial aid office will send
award letters to students who are qualified
according to current regulations and for-
mulas. However Mullins said those letters
will include a statement that the awards
depend on availability of funds.
Even if Reagan's budget cuts in student
financial aid are passed by Congress they
will not become law for 45 days the financial
aid officer said. If that is the case Mullins
said he "may be able to get the 1981-82 crop
in with the current regulations. "
Kern Lewis pro-law major from Oklahoma
City Ok la
Kevin Blair pre-med major from Fort
Worth and Scott Souder computer science
major from Topeka Kan. are vice
presidential candidates. Debbie Beebe
elementary education major from
Arlington and Susie Henderson business
computer science major from Miami Fla .
are secretarial candidates
Sophomore presidential candidates are
Doug Durr general business major from
Fredericksburg; Carter Ezell from
Louisville Ky ; and Ragan Young mass
communication major from Houston.
Kyle Carter pre-med major from Spring
and Brad Small general business major
from Big Spring are running for the vice
presidency. Candidates for secretary are
Kathy Daily from Tulsa Okla.; Torn Hale
general business major from Piano; Angela
Ishman business-accounting major from
Decatur; Jane Morrow from Longview; and
Dan Reese accounting major from Fort
Worth.
Students may vote Tuesday from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. said Tyson. Run-offs will be
conducted Wednesday and Thursday if
necessary he said
social films
abortion infanticide and euthanasia and
the last two present the Christian's response
to these topics said Bishop.
The series was produced by C. Everett
Koop medical doctor and Francis
Schaeffer theologian and philosopher.
Schaeffer also has completed "How Should
We Then Live?" a 10-film series on the
history of society said Bishop.
Bishop said the topics the films treat are
important to students planning to enter the
medical profession because the students
will have to deal with these issues in their
jobs. The films also are beneficial for all
Christians because they involve decisions
Christians must make he said.
A New Nurse
Gwen Dods
comes from Canada
Page A-7
Animal House
A visit to
the Abilene zoo
Page A-89
Air Supply
Austrailian group
on U.S. tour
Page B-2
Ail-American
Buchanan takes
ail-American honors
Page B-4
aaosocS
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 26, Ed. 1, Friday, April 10, 1981, newspaper, April 10, 1981; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99582/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.