Student candidates for personality elections and Associated Student Body leaders gathered in Lamar 131 Sunday night to review the final rules and regulations for the upcoming personality elections.
The meeting, led by ASB Attorney General Dillon Pitts kicked off the 2017 campaign season for these elections.
The meeting focused on the many details of campaign rules, ranging from limitations on signs and posters around campus, what campaign tools must be reported in expense accounts and the acceptable use of mass group messages, emailing and texting students.
Pitts said he has been working with the special election committee and other student groups to prepare for the election.
“The big thing is just getting all your ducks in a row with the university and making sure everything is allowed, things like reserving spaces and the correct rules and the correct way to go about things,” Pitts said.
Two students will be in the running for Miss Ole Miss – Jiwon Lee Savannah Smith – and another two are running for Homecoming Queen –Christina Lawler and Alexis Smith. Six candidates are running for Mr. Ole Miss – Tucker Fox, Terrence Johnson, Paul Lee, Cody Letchworth, Brady Ruffin and Chancellor Zaugg.
With a larger number of candidates running, Pitts said he hopes they will promote the election around campus and turn out more than 10,000 votes.
“Hopefully they will campaign really hard and reach students that usually aren’t reached and branch out more,” Pitts said.
Pitts said his office added an additional week of campaigning this year and will hold a meet and greet with the candidates Wednesday at the Overby Center.
Deputy Attorney General Loden Snell said he will help Pitts oversee the many rules and regulations.
“I’ll cover for Dillon when he’s in class or there’s a lot going on,” Snell said. “We just want to make sure everyone runs a smooth, clean campaign.”
Reed Ashton Kevin, director of communications for ASB, will work with Pitts to promote the elections in a positive manner.
“We want to promote ethical campaigning for the sake of adhering to the Creed and hopefully nurturing a positive, uplifting campaign season in contrast to some of the negativity that has been seen before,” Kevin said.
The campaign season will also look different this year.
ASB has extended the election day voting times, which now will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students can vote on their myOleMiss accounts under the “Get Involved” tab and then “Vote in Student Elections.”
“I hope that the candidates will reach out to all members of our student population in efforts to truly represent the student body,” Kevin said. “I also encourage all students to speak to the candidates while they are campaigning on Business Row and ask them about the title they are pursuing.”
Together, Pitts, Kevin and the special elections commission said they are ready for the upcoming weeks and are excited to crown the winners.
“It’s very hard to be in the spotlight the entire time during the campaign, but I hope the candidates will stay positive and do the right thing and, win or lose, do what’s best for the university,” Pitts said.
All of the candidate include:
Homecoming Queen:
Christina Lawler
Alexis Smith
Miss Ole Miss:
Jiwon Lee
Savannah Smith
Mr. Ole Miss
Tucker Fox
Terrence Johnson
Paul Lee
Cody Letchworth
Brady Ruffin
Chancellor Zaugg
Campus favorites:
Nekkita Beans
Caroline Block
Clifton Carroll
Mary Morgan Coburn
Rashad Collier
Phaedra Craig
Lindsay Dawson
Hayley Day
Olivia Dear
Seth Dickinson
Anne Claire Dunn
Bradyn Eaves
Christopher Feazell
Dale Hall
Rachel Hill
Katie Harrison
LeeAnn Ignozzi
Daniel Kennedy
Cody Letchworth
Megan McLeod
Chauncey Mullins
Alexis Neely
Eliza Neely
Bill Pringle
Natalie Ried
Jocelyn Roby
CiCi Rutherford
Morgan Stanley
Adeline Turner
Ingrid Valbuena
Amy Walker
Zoë Windham
Bailey Younger
Freshman maid:
Jasmine Bean
Kyndall Bertrand
Savannah Correro
Abbie Grant
Ayo Williams
Sophomore maid:
Makenzie Day
Arielle Hudson
Arianna Marshall
Madison McCay
Malika Ross
Scout “Marie” Treadwell
Junior maid:
Mary Payne Dillard
Hartlee Gabbert
Lauren Johnson
Haley Williams
Senior maid:
Marlee Sue Bradley
Autumn Lewis
Madison Phillips
Morgan Stanley
