thebattalion ● thursday,
march 1, 2012
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
senior yell leader election Runoff voting opens Students can begin voting in the runoff election Thursday at 8 a.m. and have until Friday at 5 p.m. to be counted. Student body president candidates Thomas McNutt and John Claybrook advanced past the primaries.
Correction crowns Nelson, Skoog Yell leader runoff proves elusive for woman candidate Rachel Bishop & Haley Lawson The Battalion When the results of the senior yell leader elections came in late Tuesday night, Nelson Ingram was the only candidate to secure a spot as an outright winner with the then sole majority of the votes. A runoff for the remaining two slots was declared for Drew Nelson, Hunter Skoog, Josh Light and Sa-
mantha Ketcham. The need for a runoff proved unnecessary when the Election Commission announced a mistake in calculating the voting percentage Wednesday. The errors were the result of the way the votes were calculated; instead of being divided solely by ballots cast for senior yell leader, votes were divided by the total ballots cast in the election overall — including votes cast for student body president, Residence Hall Association president, Student Senate, etc. Kyle Jackson, commissioner for the Election Commission, said that once a concern
was raised, the results were quickly assessed by the Election Commission and Information Technology, IT. “This method of using the total number of voters who cast a vote in the specific race has been the procedure for several years, and [the miscalculation] was truly an oversight this year,” Jackson said. Once the miscalculations were corrected, the final results revealed that Ingram led with 61.98 percent, followed by Nelson with 52.06 percent and Skoog with 51.50 See Yell on page 3
Final primary results ◗ Ingram, 61.98 percent ◗ Nelson, 52.06 percent ◗ Skoog, 51.50 percent ◗ Light, 50.32 percent ◗ Kectcham, 22.43 percent
Sharp questions
James Thompson — THE BATTALION
A&M System Chancellor John Sharp explains outsourcing plans to the Student Senate and custodial workers Wednesday evening at the General Services building.
System chancellor says employees will be taken care of throughout outsourcing Jake Walker The Battalion Student Senators and facilities service employees discontent with the recent announcement of outsourcing facilities services led Student Body President Jeff Pickering to take action. Pickering called a special session Wednesday night to hear from Chancellor John Sharp about the decision to begin the process of outsourcing facilities services. Outsourcing would transfer management responsibility of facilities services to a private company.
For students, this could mean aesthetic changes to campus or new on-campus dining options. Staff members fear it could mean the loss of their jobs. Dozens of service employees turned out to protest. Sharp said the goal behind outsourcing student services would be to increase revenue. He said the easiest place to start is with Dining Services. The on-campus food service has been losing money for the past six years, Sharp said, and, if outsourced to a private company, the problem could be solved. In the coming weeks, students can expect
to see private company representatives on campus conducting surveys to learn which foods students would like and what it would take to get students to eat on campus. “Most of the other universities within the A&M system have a system of privatized food service,” Sharp said. “And the student surveys are always excellent.” Sharp and University President R. Bowen Loftin will appoint a committee of nine members, including one student, with the job to analyze proposals and make a decision on whether or not to privatize. Appointing only one student voice in
This is a change that
significantly affect students.” will
— Student Senator Andrew Jancaric
the committee raised concerns among the Student Senate. “This is a change that will significantly affect students,” Student Senator Andrew Jancaric said. “I do not think that having only one student voice on a nine-member, non-binding advisory committee is enough of a student perspective for this very important change.” Student Senator Mark Womack shared See Sharp on page 3
student body president runoff
Claybrook, McNutt seek to distinguish themselves in final debate Barrett House The Battalion Although Tuesday night played a significant part in the student body president election, the final debate Wednesday between John Claybrook and Thomas McNutt was a reminder that the final results are yet to be determined. Students gathered at the George Bush Library to find two empty chairs on a dimly lit stage. The debate, scheduled to start at 7 p.m., was pushed to 7:15 p.m. due to McNutt’s participation in a special session of the Student Senate. Claybrook arrived first, gathered his notes quietly, until McNutt entered with the entourage that is his campaign team. The first question addressed Aggie values and how both candidates have exhibited those values through their campaigns. Claybrook opened the debate with a joking response when he commented that the moderator was dressed like him. How-
Pg. 1-03.1.12.indd 1
ever he quickly set the serious tone the debate would follow. “We have respected the opinions of others, respected the idea that people are different. We have done a fantastic job of collaborating with
editorial | 3 Enough with the drama The student body deserves an election devoid of interference. all kinds of different groups across campus,” Claybrook said. “This has been the main focus on everything we’ve done. That is what has gotten us to where we are right now.” McNutt began his response ex-
plaining his tardiness, and how his participation in the special session of the Student Senate, where he discussed whether or not certain services should be outsourced to private companies, exhibited some of the values of his campaign. “This is possibly the biggest student services change in over two decades at Texas A&M, so I needed to be there and talk with Chancellor Sharp and represent our values. And I think that’s a good example of exactly what we have done when it comes to the Aggie values — selfless service,” McNutt said. The candidates also discussed the move to the Southeastern Conference and the challenges the move poses for A&M. McNutt stressed the move will benefit A&M because of the similarities between the University and the SEC. “I think it’s a great fit to go to one of the [oldest] and established conferences in the country, when we are an established university; one of
Matthew Wong — THE BATTALION
Thomas McNutt speaks as John Claybrook listens Wednesday at the George Bush Presidential Library Auditorium. the most tradition rich conferences try, and we strive to be the best in in the country when we are a tra- that area,” McNutt said. dition rich university; arguably the See Debate on page 3 best athletic conference in the coun-
3/1/12 1:03 AM