Kheireddine wins SG presidential election

Moneer Kheireddine and Shaquille Kent won the race for student body president and vice president with 5,385 votes. 
ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ

A roar erupted in the Student Government Chambers on Friday afternoon with the announcement that Moneer Kheireddine and Shaquille Kent won the Student Government popular vote for student body president and vice president. The result still must be declared official by Student Government Advising, Training & Operations (SGATO).

“I can’t think,” Kheireddine said. “I’m so grateful, I’m so thankful. Tears keep coming randomly. Happy. That’s the one word, I can’t think of another word. It’s going to be a great year, a long year, but it’s going to be a great year.”

According to the unofficial results, Kheireddine and Kent received 5,385 votes while Ryan Soscia and Logan Holland received 3,251.

“I will say, I think people were expecting it to be a lot closer than it was,” said Jennifer Bielen, assistant director for SGATO.

In addition to verification of the results, Bielen said more than 20 grievances filed against the tickets would be investigated, which could affect the outcome of the election. According to Bielen, it would take validation of seven minor grievances or one major grievance to disqualify one of the tickets. She said the review of grievances would probably take about four weeks.

Students voted to continue to pay the $1-per-credit-hour Student Green Energy Fee that goes toward funding student-led projects such as solar panels on top of the MSC and refillable water bottle centers attached to drinking fountains. According to the unverified results, 5,447 students voted in favor of the fee with 1,433 against it.

Students also overwhelmingly voted yes for the student referendum, ‘USF Divest from fossil fuels, private prisons, and companies complicit in human rights violations.’ It calls for the USF Foundation to end investments in companies allegedly contributing to fossil fuels, benefiting from private prisons or complicit in human rights violations. The referendum received 7,236 in favor and 923 against it. It is nonbinding and does not require action by the Foundation or university.