RUSA treasurer wins presidency
The first-ever external elections for the Rutgers University Student Assembly ended Tuesday night, electing School of Arts and Sciences junior Yousef Saleh as RUSA president for the next academic year.
The student body elected the former RUSA treasurer after intense campaigning by three presidential candidates through every medium at the University and made Saleh the first student elected to the position through the decision of students.
RUSA Elections Committee Chair Ben West said it was a tight race. Saleh's election did not come easy.
"Yousef had a lot of good competition," said West, a Rutgers College senior. "He won by about 104 votes and Rutgers United swept through the rest of the election."
West said he feels the new administration will provide the University with great student leaders, bringing a diverse assembly and Saleh's experience in student government.
"I do think Yousef has a lot of experience through RUSA, and he will be good at guiding the new members," he said. "I think he is going to be able to help newer RUSA members implement their ideas and integrate them … to change RUSA for the better."
Saleh said he felt his run for president of RUSA was extremely tough because of the manpower behind the Rutgers United ticket, led by the RUSA Legislative Affairs committee chair John Aspray, School of Arts and Sciences junior, that had a candidate that won in every other position.
"I felt like it was David versus Goliath to be totally honest," said Saleh, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. "Rutgers United had 31 people on their ticket, and I was running by myself."
He said he reached out for potential running mates, but could not find anyone to join his campaign.
"By the time the elections started, I felt like I was meant to run alone," he said. "I couldn't find anybody so I just did it."
Saleh said although he is now the RUSA president, the Rutgers United ticket obtained a huge part of the student assembly.
"Let's face it, it's a Rutgers United body and I am at the head," he said. "[But] I'm going to let them know it's not ‘Team Rutgers United' or ‘Team Saleh,' it is ‘Team RUSA.' We are all here for the same team."
School of Arts and Sciences sophomore Matt Cordeiro was part of the Rutgers United ticket and won vice president for RUSA in the elections. Cordeiro said he is excited to get started on changing RUSA for the better.
"I want to work on everything Rutgers United ran for, which includes all types of student issues," said Cordeiro. "One issue that is dear to me is the issue dealing with the state budget and tuition for students."
He also acknowledged the presence of the Rutgers United ticket in the student assembly, saying they obtained their seats through arduous campaigning and work.
"We all worked really hard and all the people who were on the Rutgers United ticket are great candidates," he said. "Next year, RUSA is going to be great, and I'm really excited to work with so many good candidates."
Cordeiro also said he looks forward to working Saleh in RUSA, seeing as he will be a huge part of the equation.
John Aspray ran for president of RUSA on the Rutgers United ticket but said he is not disappointed with the results.
"I'm still going to be on RUSA, and I am not the type to drop out of the project because I didn't get my way," said Aspray. "To be honest, the ticket won and that's a big thing that should be recognized."
Saleh said Aspray is a good friend and it hurt to run against him. But he felt he was best suited for the head of RUSA.
"I felt that I can make the biggest difference in RUSA and at the University," he said. "I hope [Aspray] will stand by my side to make a difference at the University because I know he can."
Aspray noted although he did not win, under the new constitution he will be considered an ex-officio for RUSA and is excited to work with Saleh.
"I'm definitely willing to work with Yousef," he said. "I just hope he keeps in mind the political power that has been filled here with the Rutgers United campaign."
Although he will be an ex-officio for RUSA, Saleh said he wants Aspray to become more involved because he is extremely knowledgeable and useful when it comes to student government and the community.
"I want him to run for legislative affairs chair," he said. "He knows a lot of information about the New Brunswick community that I lack, like renters and their rights."
Saleh said he is in the process of planning a summer leadership development program for RUSA members in order to efficiently prepare student leaders at the University.
"We are going to have a lot better training for the RUSA members," he said. "So, they will better know parliamentary procedures and different ways on how they can influence things around campus."
Aspray is also making plans for strengthening the student assembly at the University by running another Rutgers United campaign in the fall to fill vacancies in RUSA.
"There are a lot of vacancies we need to go out and actively recruit on," he said. "That is what I ran on and I still intend to implement it whether I'm chair or not."
