Cecilia Engbert
Assistant Editor
Juniors Jared Johnson and Caleb Rider won the 2022 Franciscan University Student Government (FUSG) president and vice-president positions with their Life in Abundance campaign Tuesday, April 5, in a 517-379 vote.
Johnson and Rider ran against juniors Amelia Brennan and Noelle Van Horn on a platform focused on strengthening unity, building authentic Catholic culture, a promise of real advocacy for students and greater connection on campus. They particularly focused on promoting feast day festivals as a means to build enjoyable, authentic Catholic culture at Franciscan.
Brennan and Van Horn’s platform focused on upholding and promoting the university mission, particularly in regards to advancing the Catholic call to mission and evangelization.
Students voted in the J.C. Williams Center from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, and both campaigns had advertising tables set up immediately outside the doors during the election period to encourage voting.
The Life in Abundance campaign provided free donuts, sandwiches and pizza throughout the day at tables outside the J.C. and Saints Cosmas and Damian Hall.
Three amendments were passed on the election ballot.
Amendment #1 states that the president and any senator have the power to draft an advisory resolution, which would request that action be taken by the university with a response in 10 business days. Advisory resolutions will require 2/3 majority passage from the senate and a signature from the president. It will then be passed to the vice president of student life.
Amendment #2 allows the FUSG president to appoint a representative of student government to university councils and committees, with the approval of the university president.
Amendment #3 states that eligible voters in the general election are permitted to fill in and vote for write-in candidates on the ballot.
The senator results are as follows.
Sophomores: Amelia Abdalla, Peter Sammons and Makena Wisniewski.
Juniors: Francis Langley, Danielle Markle and Elijah Evans.
Seniors: Francesco Pinque, James Duarte and Kathleen Sommers.
Graduate student: Naomi Tatro.
The Life in Abundance cabinet includes the following members: junior Maria Sammons, secretary; freshman senator Faith Sirilla, treasurer; junior Jimmy Reynolds, PR liaison; junior Chessie Alberti, student support advocate; junior Bridget Whoriskey, executive assistant; freshman Lucia Hunt, chief justice; junior Ben Ries, justice; sophomore Robbie Martinez, justice; freshman Kyra McKinnon, Austrian ambassador; and freshman Pat Hardy, Austrian consulate.
Brennan said she is proud of her team and the hard work they put in during the campaign.
“I am so proud to call them my team and even more importantly my friends,” she said. “Never have I felt so supported and loved by people on my team and my own friends and family, especially after the election was completed.”
Brennan said she is excited to continue to serve the student body in whatever way God calls her.
“God’s will is our deepest desire, so we will continue to live a life for him,” she said. “I look forward to seeing what the Johnson-Rider campaign brings about, and I hope for great things!”
Johnson thanked his friends, supporters and campaign team for their efforts.
“This was crazy, and it’s all thanks to them,” he said. “I’m honored and humbled that so many students, for whatever reasons — whether because they believed in our platform or because we gave them Chik-fil-A — came out to vote for us. I also want to congratulate Amelia, Noelle and their team on one heck of a race.”
“I’m excited to put everything we promised into action next year,” Johnson said.