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Lane Hickenbottom/DN
FOCUS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Paul Schreier, center, announces his and Jon England’s 20-vote defeat to their party at Main Street Cafe on Wednesday
night. Second vice-presidential candidate Trisha Meuret, left, won her position by 165 votes.
Focus comes up short; Meuret wins
By Ieva Augstums
Senior staff writer
All it took was one phone call in a downtowr
Lincoln bar Wednesday night and the efforts ol
1,217 UNL students ended with a single sigh
pleased with the election of second vice presiden
tial candidate Trisha Meuret, but disappointed with
two losses.
“It’s finally over,” said Paul Schreier, ASUN
Focus party presidential candidate, who lost tta
election by 20 votes. “I look at our loss not as c
defeat, but the student body's own victory.”
Though 65 percent of the party’s senate candi
dates were elected into office last week, Schreiei
and Jon England, Focus vice-presidential candi
date, were unable to capture the focus of 20 addi
tional University of Nebraska-Lincoln students ir
Wednesday’s runoff election.
But both candidates said their message go
through with Meuret s election.
“This is a victory for the Focus party,” Schreiei
said. “Our message was to focus on the student;
and their concerns, and we were able to do so with
Trisha.” ^ "
Last week ASUN election officials determined
Voice party presidential candidate Andy
Schuerman’s narrow presidential victory - along
with that of his first vice-presidential running
mate, Rachelle Winkle - and Meuret’s second
vice-presidential victory were not enough to
secure the offices.
As a result, UNL students went to the votmg
booth one more time Wednesday in a runoff elec
tion to determine next year’s Association of
Students of the University of Nebraska's executive
offices.
A total of 2,467 students - or 12.03 percent of
the student body - turned out for Wednesday s tight
runoff, 242 votes (1.17 percent) fewer than the first
election.
i Schreier and England lost to the Voice party by
20 votes, by unofficial results. Meuret defeated
Voice second vice presidential candidate Vernon
Miller by 165 votes, unofficially.
Focus candidates said they were not certain if
they would ask for a recount of the votes, which
they will have to decide by Friday.
Meuret said she was honored the student body
elected her into office, but said she was disappoint
ed to hear it was a split ticket.
“I’m sad and I’m happy,” Meuret said. “All I
can do is think about those 20 vote - just 20 votes.”
Focus party campaign manger Andy Faltin
said though the party had exhausted all efforts to
get its entire ticket elected, he hoped a spirit of
cooperation would pervade ASUN offices next
year.
“We fought a hard fight against good oppo
nents,” Faltin said. “It would be a lot harder to lose
when you’re up against bad opponents.”
Schreier and England both agreed with Faltin
and said they wanted to thank everyone who sup
ported the party.
“Yes, it’s 20 votes, but the overall support we
received was phenomenal,” England said. “If given
the opportunity to do so, I would do it again. The
relationships I have built are tremendous.”
Schreier said the party conducted a grass-roots
effort, making personal contact and establishing
relationships with many university students.
“We tried to make as many contacts with dif
ferent faces as possible,” Schreier said. “I’m not
disappointed at all. I have established relationships
that were not there a week ago. I wouldn’t change
that if I even could.”
The executive candidates were uncertain if
they would continue their involvement in ASUN;
however, Schreier said he would most likely
involve himself in other campus organizations and
activities. Schreier has been involved with ASUN
for the past three years.
“There’s so much to choose from and do here,”
Schreier said. “I will continue to strive to make a
difference at this university.”
Meuret said her first job in office would be to
make sure her party’s goals and concerns would be
addressed next year.
Schreier said he had full confidence in
Meuret’s future performance and had no doubt in
her abilities.
“Focus will still strive to serve its students on
this campus,” Schreier said. “I may not be in office,
but the focus we voiced to all UNL students will
be.”
Daniel Luedert/DN
IN ANTICIPATION OF the vote count, Voice sec
ond vice presidential candidate Vernon Miller,
bottom left, and Rachelle Winkle, first vice
presidential candidate, wait while presiden
tial candidate Andy Schuerman writes down
the final results in Wednesday’s ASUN elec
tions. Schuerman and Winkle won in
* Wednesday’s runoff, while Miller lost.
Voice party victorious by 20 votes
VOICE from page 1
a Wednesday runoff election was necessary
because neither candidate gained 50 percent ol
the vote last week.
Schuerman offered no commentary aftei
the announcement and simply turned to hug his
running mates.
Later, Schuerman said one of his first reac
tions was one of disappointment after the bitter
sweet victory.
“We really went into this as a team and came
out as a team,” Schuerman said. “A blow to one
of us is a blow to all of us.”
Winkle, who talked with tears in her eyes
after the split victory, said she would make
every effort to include Miller in student govern
ment.
If he would have won, Miller would have
held the position of campus commissioner, a
liaison between different groups and ASUN.
Winkle said.
“I think he will still do that,” she said.
Winkle mentioned the possibility of Millei
heading up a group that lobbies ASUN with stu
dent concerns.
With the victory of Meuret, Schuerman said
he was ready to incorporate Focus ideas with
Voice ideas.
Along with the mixture of Voice and Focus
ideas in the executive offices, Schuerman said
he was prepared to work with a senate that con
X
tains a Focus majority.
“I really am not worried about it,”
Schuerman said. “We brought together a
diverse group of ideas in our party during the
campaign, and I think that’s what we’ll have as
a senate.”
While Schuerman said he was excited about
looking ahead at what the next year will con
tain, he was also excited about the results of the
day’s events and the high voter turnout.
“If the effort of Focus was half as much as
Voice, I’m not surprised (about the high voter
turnout),” Schuerman said.
A total of 2,467 students voted during the
second election in two weeks, a total of more
than 12 percent of the student body.
The strategy the Voice party supporters
used to mobilize voters helped secure a victory.
Winkle said.
“This time we weren’t quite as in-your
face,” Winkle said. “We didn’t single people
out, and we used pickets.”
Mike Buckneberg, a junior business major
and Voice party supporter, said the unique
strategies the party used to get people to vote
worked.
“We didn’t have to pester people to vote,” he
said. “They knew why you were there.”
Now that two weeks of elections are over,
Schuerman said his first step as student body
president would be to try to get back to normal
and catch up on all the homework and work he
The votes are in
President, IstV.P.
Jon Frank/DN
has missed out pn during the last two weeks.
But once he gets back into the routine and
the senate and executive office start working
together, Schuerman said, students should
watch out.
“I really think with the combination on the
senate there is a vast amount of potential for
great things to happen.”
