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Get Your Vote On! What to Know for The Upcoming FUSA Elections

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Karolina Atsalis
Danielle Tullo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Fairfield chapter.

From left to right: Anif McDonald ’16, Zavon Billups ’18, Olivia Tourgee ’16

Want the chance to have a say in your student experience at Fairfield University. Well, now is the time! Get your vote on in the Fairfield University Student Association elections this Tuesday, February 24.

The ballot will have two names on them; Anif McDonald ’16 for President and Olivia Tourgee ’16 for Vice President. Zavon Billups ’18, has also announced that he will be running as a write-in candidate for the Vice President position.

Voting will take place from 10 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. This year, full time students will be allowed to vote either online through OrgSync or at the designated voting area by the BCC info desk. Before you go cast your vote, meet the candidates!

Presidental Candidate 

The current FUSA Vice President, McDonald will be running uncontested this upcoming election day. Having gone to high school with current President Alex Cucchi ’15, the junior from Boston has always had the presidential seat in his sight.

“Cucchi has been a big help and a great influence,” said McDonald. “I’ve always wanted to run for president and I just want to help out my peers in that capacity.” One of the biggest accomplishments during McDonald’s time on FUSA is one most of us know well—the overhaul of Fairfield’s dining system.

After countless meetings and proposals by a number of companies, FUSA and Fairfield found our current provider’s, Sodexo, proposal to be the most impressive; and this all happened in the course of one year. McDonald said, “Being able to change dining in just one year shows how strong FUSA and the senate is when working together.”

After a successful year, McDonald has high hopes for his next term in office. One of his main areas of focus is increasing school spirit and encouraging participation in school events. “I want everyone to feel connected and more involved on campus,” said McDonald. “My main mission is to make everyone happy and feel like a part of the Fairfield community.”

Vice Presidental Candidates 

Olivia Tourgee ‘16

The vice presidential candidate whose name will be on the ballot this Tuesday is junior Olivia Tourgee. As current president of the Class of 2016, Tourgee feels that running for FUSA Vice President is the next logical step. “It’s just been a natural progression of positions,” said Tourgee. “All of FUSAs dedicated members have provided an atmosphere that motivates and excites me for what is ahead.”

Tourgee, a politics and history double major currently interning for Mayor Finch of Bridgeport, also had a part in the dining revamp and hopes to continue that success next year. One of her main objectives for the 2015-2016 school year is to make career planning more available to students in all grades. She also hopes to implement a mentorship program between underclassmen and upperclassmen, which she believes would be beneficial both socially and academically for students.

“I want to look back someday and say that I contributed as much as I could,” said Tourgee. “I would like to leave an impact on campus not just for current student, but also for future ones.”

Zavon Billups ‘18

Running as a write-in candidate for the Vice President seat is first year and current President of the Class of 2018, Zavon Billups. At the urging of his peers, Billups, who initially wanted to run for a senate seat, decided to run for Vice President. As for being a write-in candidate, he says the notion doesn’t worry him.

“I know I have the support of my class,” said Billups. “Many of my classmates encouraged me to run and it feels good to know they have confidence in me.” Although he only has one semester of leadership at Fairfield under his belt, the aspiring wrestler has big plans for next year. “I would like to work towards a more culturally sound campus,” said Billups. “I want to clearly define what it means to be a part of the Fairfield University community.”

Billups has already started working with Assistant Dean of Students and Director Kamala Kiem on incorporating a sort of CulturalEdu program for incoming students, similar to the AlcoholEdu students are required to do during orientation. “The overarching goal here is to make students more culturally aware and strengthen our campus’ community,” said Billups. 

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Karolina is a senior at Fairfield University with a major in Communications and a minor in Professional Writing. A newly appointed style editor this year, she has a passion for all things beauty and fashion. Follow her on instagram @kaphrodite!
Danielle was previously the Deputy Editor at Her Campus, where she oversaw social and content strategy, lifestyle, beauty, fashion, news, and entertainment. Prior to joining Her Campus, Danielle worked at House Beautiful as Senior Lifestyle Editor, directing and producing feature videos and stories. Danielle also served as Snapchat Editor at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the brands daily Snapchat Discover channel. In 2016, she launched Cosmo Bites — which is now the official food and beverage vertical at Cosmopolitan. That same year, Danielle was named as a Rising Star in the digital media industry by FOLIO Magazine. Danielle got her start in digital media by launching the Her Campus chapter at Fairfield University in 2014, where she acted as Campus Correspondent for 2.5 years, before graduating with a degree in English and creative writing. She enjoys wine, food, and long walks through HomeGoods. Follow Danielle on Instagram!