Every year, USF holds Student Government elections, giving students a chance to decide on those people who will represent them and decide how their tuition dollars will be spent. This year was no different. Candidates for office are held to standards and rules befitting the important role they will play at USF. So what happens when people clearly ignore and violate those rules?
They steal elections.
Moneer Kheireddine and Shaquille Kent raked in 5,385 votes during the voting period for this election- 200 more votes than were cast total in the 2015-2016 election and a landslide win. This, in itself, is not the issue. It's how they acquired those extra votes that matters.
Leading up to this school year, Moneer served as an Orientation Team Leader (OTL) alongside roughly 20 other individuals, guiding and aiding incoming freshmen in their transition to college. As part of their jobs, the OTL's created Facebook groups and group chats to communicate with students during orientation and to let them know about events and activities around USF throughout the year. These channels were official USF means of communications from the Office of Orientation, meant to keep students involved and connected to the campus and their OTL's after orientation.
Above: Rules for campaigning during the 2016-2017 election which specifically states that candidates cannot abuse official positions for the benefit of a campaign or use University employees as endorsements.
Here comes the kicker: Moneer's campaign repeatedly and systematically targeted freshmen through those official channels, groups that totaled over 2,800 students in reach. Orientation Team Leaders openly instructed students to vote for Moneer and Kent on these pages, breaking rules to advocate the "HEAR the Herd" campaign. This creates one kind of issue: it's a major abuse of influence and power for OTL's to directly endorse candidates in their exclusive social media groups. These leaders were in a unique position to influence freshmen to vote in specific ways. A position that was used unethically this election cycle. They're perfectly free to endorse candidates on their personal pages but these Facebook groups were created as part of their jobs with USF and these OTL's were entirely aware of this.
The most galling part, however, isn't even the OTL's actions. It's the actions of Moneer, himself. Moneer inserted himself into all the OTL groups months ago (the only OTL to do so) and watched as these endorsements occurred. Where he should have condemned these posts, stating he had no part in supporting or condoning these actions, he actually liked the Facebook posts. Those likes are now gone (below is a screenshot), but his view on the posts remain. Posts that he did not report. Posts that tricked the Class of 2020 into being some of his greatest support centers.
Above: Moneer likes a post endorsing his campaign in the Team ELI page
Below: Added during orientation
What's done is done. The voting period is over. But this week USF's Supreme Court will be ruling on this violation, with the potential to overturn the election results. I know I'll be looking to the court to provide a fair and just trial. But, no matter what the verdict comes back as, students need to know who's coming into office this April. Clever slogans do not negate disregard for rules and complete lack of integrity. That's my opinion, at least. So with that... Good Luck USF.
**Photos and screenshots were taken by the author or provided by various students. In an effort to protect their identities, names will not be disclosed.**
