Standing in the living room of the Sigma Phi Epsilon house, the room full of supporters went silent as presidential candidate Ben Tietz answered his cell phone Tuesday evening.
The silence turned into a joyous roar as Tietz threw his arms in the air.
"We won! We won!" he shouted over the crowd.
The Tietz Slate won the Student Government Association election with 64.8 percent of the student vote.
"It's the beginning of a new chapter," Tietz said. "We're going to work hard to represent the students and make sure they are represented well. We're here for the students."
Meanwhile, two projectors hung from the ceiling of the Fine Arts building, and the Manship slate faced them with locked arms.
Members' eyes dropped for a moment when votes appeared on the screen. About 40 friends and slate supporters turned to examine their faces before enveloping them in hugs. Presidential candidate Jayson Manship and treasurer candidate Sarah Atkinson maintained their smiles.
Atkinson said she was happy with the voter turnout, which had doubled since last year from 11 percent to 23 percent.
"It just shows there's increasing student interest in campus affairs and government," Atkinson said. "Of course I'm disappointed (with the loss). But we ran a clean campaign, and I'm proud of our slate for doing that."
Katie Carlson, a Tietz supporter, said she knew Tietz would become president when they first worked together in SGA three years ago.
"I've been waiting for him to become president since we were freshman," Carlson said. "Ball State will have great leadership in the student government. The students' voices will be heard."
Manship said his slate campaigned to the best of its ability, and he wouldn't have changed anything. However, Manship said politics prevented his slate from speaking at a few fraternities.
"Their leaders decided who they were going to vote for," Manship said. "Specific people did their best to keep us out. I'm not upset -- it's just politics."
Vice presidential candidate Meghan Newlund said she was frustrated with the election process.
"It seemed to me a lot of things didn't run the way they should've with the election process," Newlund said.
She declined to specify what went wrong.
Elections board chair Joe Flores said, "everything ran according to protocol."
"The election board did everything it could to ensure a fair election," Flores said.
Vince Eagen, a freshman who promoted Manship to residence halls, said he expected the high voter turnout to work in Manship's favor.
"It's a huge disappointment," Eagen said. "I think the slate had so much potential and a lot of good goals. (Next year) would've been a great year for Ball State if Jayson were still president."
Tietz said he will meet with his administration today to discuss what issues they will work on first. The new administration will have its first open forum next month, he said.
Secretary Kathy Spenos said she was still shaking with excitement after she heard the announcement.
"Ben's going to put us to work," she said. "The students decided who they want to represent them."
Treasurer Matt Filer said he was honored that Tietz asked him to run on his slate. Filer said he has many ideas, and he is ready to start his new job.
"I'm ready to tackle everything," Filer said. "I'm like the newbie of the group. I'm that outside voice coming into the student government."
Filer said he understands students' concerns because he is an athlete, a fraternity member and a minority student.
Vice President Olufunmbi Elemo said she thought students voted for them because of their experience and diversity.
"It's all in our slogan: experience, diversity and quality representation," she said. "We're going to do what we said we're going to do. I'm ready to work."
Manship and Atkinson said they plan to become senators next year in Student Government Association. Newlund said she will run for SGA president pro tempore, her existing position, again.
Newlund said her relationships with newly elected SGA president Ben Tietz and vice president Olufunmbi Elemo will remain professional.
"We're still going to get things done," Newlund said.
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