With a margin of just 17 votes over Tom Woodhall, Johsa Manzanilla will become the University’s next rector. A race as tight as this shows just how divided voters were. It’s disappointing that someone as qualified as Woodhall was not given the opportunity to continue contributing to a school he has already done so much for. He ran a solid campaign that showcased his grasp on the issues facing students. However, we hope Manzanilla will work hard to fill the shoes of such respected institutional figures as Grant Bishop and Ahmed Kayssi.
This year in particular, elections never seemed to end, with campus elections immediately following the federal elections. It is unfortunate that the rector elections were so overshadowed by the AMS executive elections—not to mention ASUS and the 31 referendum questions—considering the importance of the position. Perhaps in the future, the elections team will consider mandating that rector elections be held separately from AMS executive elections to ensure all candidates have the undivided attention of students.
If anything, Manzanilla’s win is a testament to the strength of her campaign. She had the greatest presence and made her voice heard in many classes. Now that she has secured her position, we hope Manzanilla will be less aggressive than she was during her campaign, especially if she intends to be as accessible to students as she promised. The rector must work with University s rather than against them. During the campaign period, she stuck to three main issues and rarely strayed from them: Homecoming, diversity on campus, and tuition deregulation. While these are indeed pertinent issues, they are not the only issues, and Manzanilla will have to learn to address all the University’s issues with the same force and confidence.
The race for rector was close. If anything, it should be an indication to rector-elect Johsa Manzanilla that she has a challenging job ahead of her. We wish her the best of luck.
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