Hunter Short barely heard the end of his name called from the back steps of Cater Hall before the green and grey-clad sea of campaign T-shirts and nerve-ridden faces erupted in ecstatic screams and surged around their victor in an enormous, leaping huddle.
Short, junior in accounting and supply chain management, defeated Abhi Gulati, junior in software engineering, in Tuesday’s election for SGA treasurer.
He won the race with 51 percent of the vote to Gulati's 49 percent.
Nearly 40 percent of student voters cast their ballots Tuesday.
Following the victory, Short intends to expand SGA’s personal finance initiatives for financial literacy on campus by increasing accommodation efforts for class availability and curriculum research.
He also said he hopes for greater transparency of funds allocated by and for SGA so that students have more influence in campus life.
But Short said his number one goal as he steps into office is keeping the SGA doors wide open.
“Getting the open door policy started, making sure students feel comfortable coming to SGA and talking about finances is key in the start before we move on to transparency and literacy,” Short said.
Despite Tuesday night's results, Gulati was appreciative of the opportunity to run and voice his ideas.
“Having your name out there and putting your platform and your vision out there is humbling,” Gulati said. “You think it’s an ego boost, and it is, but it just makes you feel like you’re trying to serve something bigger. It was an experience of a lifetime, anyway, being able to run for something like this with so many people supporting me.”
The huddle of shouting greens and greys eased slowly, followed by elated hugging from friends and chants of “Save with Short” ringing in the tight circle of students.
Short’s parents, both Auburn graduates, stood just a few feet away after driving from Mississippi, waiting their turn to hug their son on the same lawn where they stood years before.
This time with the next SGA treasurer.
“Seeing everyone here makes it that much better, and it means the world that they would go out every day on the concourse and fight for me and share my platform and vision for Auburn,” Short said. “I expected a close race, and I think we got that. Abhi did great, and I’m just happy to have all the support I’ve had.”
The new treasurer will succeed Dixon Simmons who initiated SGA’s Personal Finance Initiative to improve financial literacy among all students, regardless of major or background.
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