Citing several concerns of student disenfranchisement, members of the FAMU Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People planned to march in protest of Tuesday’s SGA elections.
“Too many questions were raised about the integrity of the election process,” said Adrienne Rogers 22, president of the FAMU chapter of NAACP.
NAACP members and other concerned students gathered in the parking lot of Parking Services to march to the Office of Student Union and Activities Thursday at 2 p.m.
However, the organization did not obtain the proper permits to hold a march on campus and decided to revise their plans.
“Today, we had pairs of students walk from where ever they were to give a memo to Tiffany Cartwright (Electoral Commissioner) and had them let the commissioner know about their concerns,” explained the fourth-year business student irregularities in the voting process include; Recount of votes; Re-election of candidates; and Disciplinary action against all parties involved.
Rogers explained that the organization did not file the complaint in support of any candidate but on behalf of all students.
“Our sole purpose is to make sure that the integrity of the election process is maintained at all times,” Rogers said.
Henry Kirby, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said he is not surprised by the requests.
“I’ve been at the University for 25 years, and to my knowledge, there has never been an election to go uncontested,” Kirby said.
Kirby said he did not have a problem with the attempted protest, as long as the students followed proper protocol.
“The best I can tell students is let the process work. Let the Student Supreme Court do its job,” Kirby said.
As word traveled about the pending protest, several students voiced their concerns about the election process.
Chadwick Gaines, 22, a fourth-year philosophy and religion student from Fort Lauderdale said the election process is being taken out of context.
“If everyone’s true desire was to better FAMU, then it wouldn’t matter who wins,” Gaines said.
“Just because you don’t have a title doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference,” Gaines said.
“We need to be independent agents to better this University.”
Contact Alexia R. Robinson at thefamuaneditor@hotmail.com.