Discrepancy between candidates fires week before ballots cast

Chris DeGusto • March 1, 2017

Courtesy of Levi Smith

In the midst of campaign season for Suffolk University’s Student Government Association (SGA), discrepancy arose between vice presidential candidates Yasir Batalvi and Levi Smith on Monday night.

On whiteboards in the lobby of Suffolk’s Sawyer building, some candidates for the various SGA executive board positions have drawn messages in hopes to yield the votes of students. A notice about Smith’s campaign portrayed a bulleted list of his qualities, accompanied by checked off boxes. On Tuesday, Smith issued a public statement on his Facebook with a corresponding video that showed Batalvi’s personal Snapchat account; Batalvi posted to his story a clip of the whiteboard Monday night with an additional box checked off that read “copies Yasir.”

Batalvi, in an interview with The Suffolk Journal on Tuesday, said that he was not the one who wrote this on the whiteboard. Smith’s Facebook post said that he was disappointed in Batalvi’s actions.

“I am severely disappointed in Yasir, and betrayed as colleague, as I originally thought his character wasn’t capable of a decision like this,” said the statement.

Batalvi said to Journal reporters that his Snapchat account is personal, and added his Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest are all being utilized along with his personal website as outlets for his campaign. Batalvi said photos and videos posted to his Snapchat are not an endorsement of what is pictured. He said that he realized this was not something he should have posted, and deleted it.

Batalvi said that this incident was a non-issue.

“It’s Levi making an issue on the election,” said Batalvi. He added “If anyone is making this campaign negative it’s Levi.”

SGA President Sean Walsh currently runs the election process for all executive board positions. While he did not defend or condemn either party in an interview with The Journal on Tuesday night, Walsh clarified the rules and procedures of the SGA elections.

“No one’s broken any rules whatsoever,” said Walsh of the campaign.

Editor’s Note: Due to a reporting error, in a previous version of this article the last name of the VP candidate was spelled “Botalvi.” The correct spelling is “Batalvi” as indicated in this version.

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About the Contributor

Chris DeGusto, Past News Editor

As someone who truly has no idea exactly what he wants to do in life, Chris’ desire is to help those he cares about achieve their dreams. Chris welcomed a role that he never envisioned himself in; one that drives him insane.

Chris loves to tell stories, hence his passion: writing. If he’s not in The Journal’s office, you can find him catching up on the Sox or Celtics, studying the stock market or (unfortunately) riding the T to his favorite place in the world, Boston.

One day Chris hopes to write a book, well, actually finish a book he has already started. With a plan to travel the world and provide insight about his life experiences through his writing, Chris will always be attached to the city he calls home. And while he loves Boston more than anything, one reason why his book is not finished is because it doesn't have a suitable ending; he has a hunch that one day life will lead him to the west coast, to write him a new story.