Written by Sarah J Kyle
After a 6-week long election period, the longest election campaign in Harding’s history, the student body has elected its next SA president and vice president.
Bryan Clifton, a junior accounting and finance double major from Snyder, Texas, won the election Friday, April 10 with 806 votes. Sky Vanderburg followed with 382 votes.
Jordan Stanley won the runoff for SA vice president with 628 votes, while Alex Ritchie followed with 435 votes.
Clifton said that while the campaign was long and trying, he would not change how the election went or how long it lasted.
“We didn’t expect it to take six weeks. We didn’t expect to go through three different times. And if you had told me that his election would have ended on the Friday of Spring Sing, I would have been shocked,” Clifton said. “Looking back on it now, I wouldn’t have changed it a bit.”
Clifton said that he believes the length of the campaign caused a reaction in students that brought them closer to the Student Association and made them want to be more involved in what the SA does.
“I think the results that we will get in next year and in the coming years as well, will be more beneficial than what we’ve had in the past,” Clifton said. “I think people really feel more connected with the SA right now. I was shocked to see 1100 people vote today, in a runoff. It’s just a testament to Harding students and their willingness to want to see themselves represented on the SA.”
Opposing candidate Vanderburg said he remains sure of the way he ran his campaign and accepts the results that came from lengthy process.
“I think there are things I could’ve done to make it turn out a different way,” Vanderburg said. “But I don’t think that would have been in accordance with my campaign and what we were really focusing on. There are really no regrets.”
For the supports of Vanderburg’s service-based campaign, Vanderburg said that he would continue to work with the SA to carry out the goals of a service-driven community, even without the capacity of being SA president.
“I’m here to work to make sure that community, that service and that diversity are a big part of what’s on campus next year,” Vanderburg said. “This isn’t a personal thing, I don’t really see this as an affront on any one person. I see this as an opportunity for someone to serve. I don’t have any pride about this, and I’m ready to do exactly what I said I was going to do.”
Vanderburg’s service efforts include plans to collaborate his campus “Jam Sessions” with former candidate Nathan Dollnig’s Walking Society, something he said he hoped would bring the Harding community together.
Clifton said that he looks forward to working with Vanderburg in the coming year and that each brought a different set of ideas to the table.
“He has a lot of great skill sets, a lot of great talents that I don’t have,” Clifton said. “And I can recognize those and see where his strengths are and hopefully plug him into those areas.”
Clifton said that next year, students can look forward to an open Student Association and that he hopes they choose to take part in it.
“We’ve had so much response from students in the election process. I hope that continues in the next year,” Clifton said. “Bring ideas to me, to Jordan, to Sky, to everyone in the SA. I can’t think of all the ideas, and I know that. Students are the ones who are supposed to come up with new ideas and bring them to the SA. Let’s get things done.”
