Polls for first-year senators closed Sept. 11 at 5 p.m., narrowing down the whopping pool of 26 candidates to five winners. The candidates began campaigning Sept. 9 with a budget of $50 each.

Vivian Frederick, Gel Greene, Nick McLaughlin, Stuart Stanley and Maggie Schmidt are the few victors who will be responsible for representing the interests of the class of 2018.

Frederick is a Hunt scholar and a second-generation SMU student from Richardson. She’s a member of Student Foundation and currently works at Francesca’s. Her campaign posters read, “Vote Vivian” with photos of her holding up two fingers in the shape of V’s.

Greene is a resident of Ware Commons and a member of the SMU rowing team from Jacksonville, Fla. She plans to study advertising and sports management. Her campaign ads expressed her desire to create a better environment on campus, promising to put students first.

McLaughlin of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, plans to study finance. His campaign featured the slogan #PickNick. McLaughlin was inspired to run because of his leadership skills, well-roundedness and his love for the university.

“I applied Early Decision (ED) to SMU because I knew it was the place for me,” said McLaughlin, “so I have been committed to the SMU community for quite some time now.”

McLaughlin’s goals include directing more spending toward academics, increasing attendance at sporting events, and improving the reputation and ranking of SMU to increase the face value of an SMU degree.

Stanley of Cleveland, Ohio, is a fantasy football fanatic. His goals for the coming year include being the voice of the student body, making sure the rest of senate hears his classmates’ thoughts, and making SMU a more inclusive community.

“It is an honor to be a senator,” said Stanley. “I am excited to be at SMU.”