Victory is Ash’s!!!

The students have decided, and for once they want to go “one way.”
In an unexpected defeat over his opponents, Carey Ash, a junior political science major from Baton Rouge, was elected as the Student Government Association President for the 2007-08 academic year.
“I feel like the students are ready to make a change,” Ash said.
Ash received 977 votes on Monday during the SGA’s student elections that took place in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union.
According to officials with the SGA Election Commission, a candidate for president must receive 50 percent plus one vote to secure the title of president without heading into a run-off election.
Ash only needed 866 votes to win.
His opponents, junior political science major Reuben Griffin, received 500 votes while presidential hopeful Brittany Bass, a junior political science major, only received 253 votes.
“Hearing the lady call the number of votes I received, I was hysterical,” Ash said. “My campaign managers picked me up on their shoulders. In the beginning, I thought I was going to fall, but I realized these are people who love me.”
Ash said it’s the student’s belief in him that encourages him to follow through with every commitment he made and do the job he was elected to perform.
“To be lifted up on their shoulders shows me they are willing to be the foundation I need,” he said. “They (students) are going to be the support and backbone for me as I stand up tall for the university.”
Ash will serve his tenure as President next term along side Vice-President elect Channing Blake, a junior business marketing major from Houston. Blake defeated hopeful Michael Green, a junior accounting major from Baton Rouge, on Monday with 1,298 votes to Green’s 419.
“To feel what I feel is undescribable,” Blake said, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. “I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in if it was not for the students. It’s not about me, it’s about putting the students first.”
Although Ash and Blake have already secured two of the three top leadership positions for SGA, students will have to return to the polls on Wednesday to determine who will fill the shoes of Miss Southern next term.
Voters will, however, have fewer candidates to choose from.
Senior psychology major and Rowlett, Texas native Jasmine Smutherman and junior mass communications major and Crowley native Zakiya Ali will enter a run-off election on Wednesday to determine who will reign as the next Miss Southern.
In the general election, Smutherman received 575 votes with Ali securing 397. A close second finish to other Miss Southern hopeful Ashley Myles who received 394 votes on Monday.
Junior nursing major and Baton Rouge native Dreshellia Branch reared the ballot with 359 votes.
Until the next Miss Southern is announced on Wednesday, Ash said he will now turn his attention on his tenure as president.
“I am focused on moving the students in the right direction,” Ash said. ” These students want concrete answers and concrete results.”
Ash said his victory is credited to the support of the entire SU campus and his belief in God.
“I would first like to thank God, my family for their continued support, my campaign staff lead by my campaign manager, D’Andre Hopewell, my political advisor Ivory Berry and the students who showed the courage to vote,” Ash said. “The vote you cast was a vote of confidence and trust.”