York and Sutton clinch the Students’ Association presidential election

Emma Dejong

Emma Dejong

The results are in: Mark York and Anthony Sutton are the SDSU Students’ Association president and vice president for March 2011 to March 2012.

Out of 2064 student votes, York and Sutton won with 1271. Their opponents, Shad Christman and Maria Skogland, had 793.

SA Adviser Zeno Wicks said he was pleased with the number of voters.

“I’m always happy to see big turnout at elections,” Wicks said.

Sutton, however, was hoping for a larger percentage.

“More students voted than last year, so that’s good, but from Mark and my perspective … you always wish more would vote,” Sutton said.

At 8:30 p.m. after hearing the results, York and Sutton enjoyed being able to relax in the SA office, and friends were in the room with them to celebrate.

“I’m just relieved,” said Aimee Kabala, a senior chemistry major. “I was just waiting for the results.”

Halima Mulamba, a junior human development major, said she appreciates York’s personality.

“I know I can trust him, and I wish him the best,” Mulamba said.

York and Sutton said they had many people helping with the campaign.

“We needed pictures taken, snow written on, calls made, Facebook statuses updated, people handing out candy, whatever,” Sutton said. “We taped 2,500 suckers at least.”

“It definitely was mainly the people that helped us,” York said. “We absolutely couldn’t have done it without them because we had very worthy opponents.”

Brett Monson and Erin Kennedy hold their positions as president and vice president until March 21, when York and Sutton are sworn into office.

“We have big shoes to fill,” Sutton said.

York, Sutton and their friends reflected over the victory and enjoyed being able to just sit.

“It’s more of the absence of feeling,” Sutton said. “We’ve all had good and bad experiences. When a long process is over, you just kind of want to relax.”

York agreed, describing the feeling after a long campaign.

“I feel like Frodo when he tosses the ring into the fire of Mount Doom,” York said.

Sutton was quick to respond.

“Does that make me Samwise Gamgee?”

To follow last year’s leadership, York said he has been friends with Monson long enough to know that the road won’t be easy.

“We have only just begun,” York said.