I....what? I WON!!!!!!

Today was one of the most nerve-wracking days of my life.  Student Government elections were read at Spirit Day, in front of HUNDREDS of students. Come on.  Who wouldn't be nervous?

The results were read by college from highest amount of votes to lowest.  I knew that I'd either be the 3rd name read or my name wouldn't get called at all.  That made things even worse.

As Casey said, "your Senators for the College of Education are..." I started to cry.  And when I heard Megan & Kelsey's names read, I started to cry more.  It was this or not at all.

And then I heard my name.  It was one of the most surreal feelings in the world.  I, Christina B., got elected by the student body of FGCU as a Senator.  I thought this day would never come.

The best part about it was being surrounded by other members of the Unite party and the people who have supported me on this crazy journey.  And their excitement when I won made it even more exciting for me.  I couldn't have asked for a better group of friends or a better way to end these past two weeks.

Oh, and I can't forget that PETER & KIM WON!!!!!  31 out of 34 of our Senatorial Candidates got elected, and the Peter & Kim got elected as President & VP.  Such a sweet victory.

I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for everyone who voted for me.  940 votes.  That's 200 more than last year.  I am so excited to continue to represent the students of FGCU.  Again, thank you to everyone who voted for me.  You have absolutely no idea how much this means to me.

Five dollar. Five dollar footlongs.

Words cannot express how proud I am to be a Senatorial Candidate for the UNITE! party.  Thanks to Student Government leaders & the UNITE! party, we led negotiations with Aramark to have $5 footlongs on campus EVERY DAY.  They said it was impossible, but UNITE! made it happen....for you.

So VOTE UNITE! for experienced leaders who will make big changes happen at FGCU!

UNITE! for the good of the Eagles!!

I feel like I'm caught in a whirlwind right now.  Like the ones you see in a movie where everything is moving around you and you're moving your head to the left and to the right trying to make sense of it all.

Everything is moving so fast, and it's been impossible to stop and make sense of it all.

A year ago, I was doing the same exact thing I'm doing now - campaigning.  But this year's election cycle has already proven to be much different than last year's.  Last year, I felt a strong connection to each and every person running on ACTION!  They became my family, and the bonds I made throughout those 2 weeks are still going strong today.  This year, it's just different.  There's not as many people at the table, and I feel like I haven't even had the opportunity to get to know everyone.  I know that they are all incredible people.  I can see it in the way that the carry themselves around this campus.  I just wish I was able to get to know them better.  Because whether or not we all get elected or not, we share a bond that is irreplaceable.

The parties this year are also so different.  I like to think of them as polar opposites.  You have Unite, the party I'm running with.  We have an extensive platform, experienced Senators, and top leaders on this campus.  People spent HOURS making up the designs for our platform cards, shirts, and banners.  Proactive, on the other hand, is a bit different.  Their platform card contains about five or six items, and they're very basic phrases.  There's nothing wrong with that.  Their shirts were sponsored by 15-20 different businesses.  Their platform cards are not made from cardstock but rather regular old computer paper.  Their Senatorial candidates are not experienced Senators, but rather people who are eager to get involved.  Again, absolutely NOTHING wrong with that.  Just two totally different styles of campaigning.  It's a true reflection of the two different leadership styles these parties have.  It makes campaigning very interesting.  And with our tables directly across from each other, you can see the distinct contrasts between the parties.

I found myself crying not too long ago because I realized how terrified I am.  I'm beginning to realize why I've been holding back so much.  It's because I'm scared.  I'm scared of things turning out like they did last year.  Last year I didn't think I had a shot, but I had hopes anyway.  So yeah, I was upset when I lost.  This year, I actually think I have a chance at getting elected.  And that thought scares the crap out of me.  I know that if I don't change my campaigning strategies/skills, things will turn out exactly as they did last year.  And I'm not sure if I can handle that again.

The support that I've had over the past several days has been incredible.  Family, friends, sisters, and even strangers have told me how much they support myself and the UNITE party.  I'm terrified but I'm excited for what's to come.

March 26th will come and go, but that will never change the amazing memories that our party will share together.  I'm so proud to be part of the Unite party.  And no matter what the outcome is, I'll always be grateful to be part of this amazing party.  <3

Let the campaigning begin!!

Student Government campaigning has officially begun, and I'm proud to say that I'm running with the UNITE party for a College of Education Senate seat.  It feels like just yesterday that I was running with the Action party, and I truly can't believe that it's been a year.  For the most part I am excited about this election cycle, but I am ridiculously nervous.  I'm also a bit scared, and I'm trying desperately to not let that fear consume me.  I'm sure that over the next 2 weeks I'll have lots to write about.  So be prepared for some great blogs posts.

VOTE UNITE! for the good of the Eagles!!
www.unitefgcu.com