Freshman Chris Camire was elected student body president in the spring 2011 Student Government Association elections, defeating his opponents Anna Ivanova and Katherine Sivret.
Receiving a total of 147 votes, Camire defeated Ivanova and Sivret by 31 and 38 votes respectively.
Camire was also elected to the resident student senate seat, but he said will accept the position as student body president. “I’m excited and confident to start working in my new office,” he said.
With 447 valid ballots, the turnout in elections this year was low compared to the previous elections held in Spring 2010, which had a higher turnout by over 200 ballots.
Camire said it is his goal to create more of a connection between the administration and the students at USM. “A lot of students that I’ve met aren’t aware that they have such a big part in controlling what happens around here,” he said.
Since his start in the Student Senate in October, Camire’s main activity as a senator has been to organize a forum to discuss student concerns. He said he feels it is important for student leaders to stay connected with the their constituents.
“You can’t lose touch with the community you’re representing,” he said.
Camire said he plans stay connected to the student body by hosting monthly forums between students, student government and USM administrators.
Camire proved a popular candidate among resident voters, receiving 57 percent of residential votes. But he received fewer votes by commuters than both of his opponents.
Camire said he wanted to run for student body president because he felt he was the best candidate for the position. “When I was suggested to run for student body president, I thought that my experience combined with my charisma and professionalism were a perfect match.”
Camire said the next step for him is to work on making a smooth transition from the tenure of current Student Body President Ashley Willems-Phaneuf to when he takes on the position.
“In the coming weeks I will be working closely with the current student body president to carry on where she left off and take her experience into my term,” Camire said. He said he wants to make sure that there will be no gap between the two administrations.
Camire said he considers the task of ensuring a seamless transition one of his biggest challenges. “I want to make sure that there is no gap of inactivity between our terms,” he said.
Camire said he wants to be prepared for all of the challenges the job offers. “I need to work very hard to always be prepared for every aspect of this new job,” Camire said. He said he plans to embrace the job in its fullest, working with Willems-Phaneuf as well as administrators.
Willems-Phaneuf said she is ready to hand over the reins. “When you’re student body president, you have to be a representation of USM everywhere you go,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot, but I’m definitely ready to move on,”
I wish Ashley well, she was always wonderful and involved, doing her best to overcome the obstacles she faced. I hope Camire actually cares about USM students rather than his title and prestige. We shall see. Either way, congratulations.
Camire will be able to handle the political aspects well, I presume, from his experience in High School and short time in the Senate. Of course he had the most USM Senate experience he could have, given he is only a Freshman.
Again, we shall see if he listens to and steps up for his constituents. This can be very difficult to accomplish given the Student Government is ultimately awarded its power by the USM institution rather than the USM students.