*Breaking*

After more than 2,000 students fought bad weather to vote in Thursday’s run-off election, the SGA president and vice president for 2003-2004, along with another runoff decision, are still yet to be determined.

Larry Rivers and Virgil Miller, candidates on the presidential ticket, won 1381 of the student votes in Thursday’s run-off elections, over 400 more votes than Travis Williams and Aziza Bowser’s 936.

But election commissioner Mike Lipford said Rivers and Miller are not the official winners. We could do this a bit more dramatically

“These are not the winners or losers,” Lipford announced to the students at Thursday night’s Voter’s Comedy Jam.

Lipford would not disclose any information about a pending case that hindered presidential election results. sophomore senator Ryan Morand, said the judicial branch was still deliberating on whether appeals made by Larry Rivers about the elections will be accepted or denied.

Morand said the students deserve to know who their next president is going to be.

“I think it’s owed to the students to know the final decision of the judicial branch of the student government on the appeal for Larry Rivers,” said the 19-year-old business student from Tampa. “With all the drama going on with the elections I feel that there’s a need for a solution for unanswered questions because our student government is at stake,”

Lipford also said there is no word on FAMU’s newest sophomore attendant because of a “possible disqualification” of one of the candidates.

Both candidates – Kimberly Brown and Christy Hunt – received 420 votes in the runoffs.

Brown may be disqualified from the race for amassing too many points during campaigning. A campaign worker confessed to sabotaging Brown’s campaign, which allowed her to stay on Tuesday’s ballot.

Lipford said the real winners for the sophomore attendant and presidential tickets wouldn’t be announced until after Spring Break.

The loudest screams and cheers in Gaither Gymnasium at the show came after Lipford announced Kimberly Pate as Miss FAMU 2003-2004.

Robert Clemmon, 21, one of Pate’s campaign managers, said the campaign this year for Miss FAMU this year was “the most difficult campaign.”

“It was highly competitive and (the elections) were very untasteful campaigns,” said the junior political science student from Detroit.

“We, throughout the campaign, kept a clean campaign and stayed loyal throughout the entire campaign,” Clemmon said.

Pate defeated Ashia Everett 1171 to 1143 for the position.

Stephanie Johnson squeaked past Jessica Martin to a 212 to 208 win for junior attendant.

“(The junior attendant results) shocked me because Jessica led a really strong campaign,” Clemmon said. “She only lost by four votes.”

The senior attendant race was also close, but Brooke Jenkins managed to win the race by 15 votes, getting 217 to Tiffany Zeno’s 202 votes.

“It was hard work but it paid off,” Jenkins said. “So I’m excited.”

Tiffini Baskins became Queen of Orange and Green after getting 1183 of the votes to opponent Krista Brown’s 985.

Vice presidential candidate and senate president Bowser said she is still waiting for the decision on River’s appeal to find out if she and Williams will become the next SGA leaders.

“We’re definitely disappointed that we didn’t win the majority of the student votes,” Bowser said, “but the students who voted for us were loyal and believed in us.”

Rivers said he was “very humbled and honored” that he and Miller won the most votes in the presidential election.

“I feel terrific,” Rivers said. “The students of Florida A&M University have spoken as far as who they want to lead this university.”

Bowser said no matter the outcome, she and Williams will continue to serve the student body.

“That’s our first priority,” Bowser said.

Rivers said he doesn’t believe his appeal case will discount his unofficial win for president.

“I don’t think it’s going to hinder us,” Rivers said. “I still think the student’s voice is going to be heard.”

Tanya Caldwell