WSU Student Senate filled the vacant seat for the Engineering and Applied Science and Technology (EAST) senator for 2017–2018 during the senate meeting held on April 3. This seat was vacant because there were no student candidates running for the position during spring elections.
This vacant seat had two candidates, Chukwuebuka Odu and Mackenson Lundy. Odu was elected to the seat by a two-thirds majority. However, Lundy feels he was not given accurate information about meeting times during the application process.
Newly-elected legislative VP Parker Hughes explained that the process of filling a vacant senate seat is outlined in the Student Involvement and Leadership constitution and by-laws. The two-week process requires any person interested in filling a vacant seat to fill out an application and then appear before the senate for introductions. Next, the candidate must appear before the senate the following week to answer a series of pre-selected questions as well as any others the senate may have. After that process, the senate must vote with a two-thirds majority in favor to ratify an appointment.
Lundy claims the current legislative VP, Jeffery Henry, gave him misinformation about the senate meeting times and location, preventing him from being present during the senates allotted time to question the candidates.
Henry responded to these allegations, saying, “He (Lundy) applied for the international senator seat and didn’t show up, and he didn’t show up last week for introductions. There is a pattern to his behavior.”
Erik Ashby, SIL adviser, said if Lundy wished to pursue the matter, there is an appeals process to investigate these kinds of issues. “We have a supreme court; we have checks and balances,” Ashby said.
When asked if Lundy planned to appeal the election of Sen. Odu, Lundy said, “I will let it go. Next election, I will win by the students.”
Odu excused himself from the senate meeting before it’s conclusion and could not be reached for comment.
