The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Volume XVI, Number 57
Monday, April 6, 1981
Purgason Wins Runoff, 2 to 1
By Ray Gronberg
Carolina Journal News Editor
UNCC students turned out in
record numbers last week to elect Pol
ly Purgason next year’s student body
president.
Purgason, a junior biology major,
defeated Henry Gatling in the runoff
election by a count of 1007-503.
In another race, Charles Simms
won his race for UPB chair over Rob
bie O’Neal, 821-567.
The 1510 votes cast in the presiden
tial election are a record for any stu
dent government election here, and
were particularly suprising consider
ing the fact that turnouts for runoffs
are usually low, in the 800-1000
range.
This year’s general election set the
previous record, with 1417 people
casting votes. Prior to that, the 1979
election was the largest, with Karen
Popp.
Purgason, when asked for her ex
planation of the size of the turnout,
had this response: “Controversy.”
“I’m really gald we raised student
interest in this election. But I’m not
sure that interest was raised by a
positive thing,” she continued.
Gatling attributed his loss to one
major factor. “The thing was, really,
we were just outnumbered. Race had
something to do with it. My color had
an affect on a lot of things,” he said.
Later, he said, “It’s going to still
come down to race. I don’t care how
qualified you are, I don’t care how
much good intentions you have, the
race issue is going to stick out in peo
ple’s minds. ‘Well, the reason I voted
for her is because, blase’ blase’,’ but
when it comes down to it, race is go
ing to play a role. Race definately
played a role in my defeat.”
“I tried my best to keep race out,”
he continued, “but unfortunately it
just came in at the wrong time.”
In response to further questioning,
he said the Carolina Journal bore at
least part of the responsibility for in
jecting the issue. “The Journal was
my demise. The unfair coverage that
I had. For example, the runoff. Why
wasn’t my picture in the runoff. I was
one of the fortunate candidates to
make the runoff, and my picture was
nowhere in the paper,” he said.
(Gatling’s photo did not appear in
the March 26 issue of the Journal,
which featured the results of the
general election. It did, however, ap
pear in a box on the front page of the
March 30 edition.)
Continuing, “There were some mis
quotes in the paper. Take for example
one of the statements the Journal us
ed: ‘The runoff between Henry Gatl
ing and Polly Purgason boils down to
one thing: can Polly Purgason’s abili
ty to bring out the residence hall vote
withstand Gatling’s 250 sure black
votes, from the black voters on this
campus, who are always politically
active.’”
“Which manipulated race. It was
black versus white.”
“Everything was a stacked deck,
from the Journal on up. There was no
way I could win under the cir
cumstances.”
Black Student Union president and
Gatling supporter Mike Kemp was
more explicit on the point. “Facts
show that she (Purgason) manipulat
ed every facet of the Student Associa
tion in order to win.” In this charge
he included the Journal, Student
Legislature, which he and Gatling
both said was stacked in favor of
Purgason, the student court (of which
Purgason is chief justice), and, “to
some extent, even UPB.”
As an example of this manipula
tion, Gatling cited the example of
defeated presidential candidate Mike
Derby. “Derby had told me he wasn’t
going to endorse any political can
didate. At the last minute he comes
on and endorses her. A stab in my
Photo by Debbie Miller
Purgason gleams as she holds
a victory cake.
back.”
“The other candidate, Mr. Knox, I
tried to negotiate with him, I told him
that I wanted him to be a part of my
administration, but, same thing. He
turned his back on me.” I tried to get
fair, honest representation in, but he
turned his back on me.”
A further example of manipulation,
according to Gatling, was the contest-
ment, by Knox supporter Boo
Roberts, of the general election
results. “It was preconceived, wasn’t
going to go through anyhow,” he
said.
Roberts’ charges were heard by a
student court panel consisting of
Nelson Minnick, Bo Matthews and
Regina Barbee. She contended that
elections chair Karen Stout violated
the Elections and Publicity Act by
appointing elected officials, namely
Attorney General Deb Dellinger,
legislature chair Barry Brown and
Student Bank president Debbie
Brown, to the staff of her committee.
Stout said the three served as
volunteers, so that two people were at
each of the polling places at all times,
as is also required by the Act. The
panel, however, found that the Act
had indeed been violated.
Roberts argued that the fact of the
violation mandated that the election
results be thrown out and the entire
thing be run over again. The panel re
jected this arguement, saying that no
evidence was presented showing that
the election outcome had been af
fected, and that the number of can
didates (75) precluded the abrogation
of the results in the absence of said
eveidence.
Stout was fined $15, while the
others were each fined $10. The panel
also recommended that the Act be
amended to clear up any ambiguity
regarding who may serve when and
under what circumstances on the
Elections and Publicity staff.
Barry Brown said afterwards that
he, Debbie Brown and Dellinger
would appeal. “I came in a spectator
and walked out fined $10,” he said,
going on to claim their rights had
been violated.
Purgason agreed that the campaign
had racial overtones. “I think it
started off okay but unfortunately it
started turning into a ‘skin race.’ It
was inevitable.”
As to the charge of manipulation,
she responded, “That is totally ab
surd. If the Student Association
backed me, it was because I have been
involved and they know I’m"
qualified.”
All involved in the election agree
that the most critical issue facing
Purgason when she takes office will
be campus race relations. Purgason
has promised that she will establish a
biracial committee to try to help with
the problem
Gatling said his defeat had both
negative and positive aspects—nega
tive in the sense of the manipulation
charge, positive in that it will, he
says, “bring all the minorities on
campus together. It can make them
more concious of some of the concerns
that affect them.”
When asked what affect Purgason
might be able to be have on the pro
blem, hesaid, “The only way she can
help relieve some of this tension, is
that she is going to have to start be
ing very straightfoward, and look ob
jectively, and realize there are some
very serious problems that affect all
minorities on this campus.”
“If she starts trying to do some
things for the other minorites, trying
to get them voices in government,
and trying to really say, T care, we
care about what happens to you on
this campus,’ then the tensions will
cease.”
As for Purgason, she says “I am
completely open and ready for it.
There will be no problem.”
Tom Chumley, who managed
Purgason’s campaign, said “It was a
tremendous victory, the 1007 was
awesome and widespread. The victory
•can be attributed to dedication and
(hard work by our campaigners.
Henry ran a good campaign, but
was hurt badly in the runoff by some
of his overzealous supporters. The
turnout was very surprising.
“I believe the original election fuel
ed voter interest. The students
wanted to finish the job of selecting a
president and did so in record
numbers,” Chumley said.