Freshmen Kathy Kim and Ben Oren announced they will run for Student Assembly president and vice president on an informal ticket, citing a lack of firm positions on specific issues by the current candidates as their reason for joining only a week before the election.
"We looked at the candidates and saw the platforms they presented, or the lack of platforms in some cases, and we decided we would be able to implement the ideas people want," Oren said.
Kim said the race lacks diversity and specific issues because the candidates all agree on the issues.
Oren said the specific issues they would like to address include greater priority for students for tickets to Hopkins Center events, reforming the Committee on Standards and fighting plans to relocate the Special Collections library to Webster Hall.
"We don't have enough student space as it is," Oren said.
The candidates announced their candidacy too late to appear in last night's presidential and vice-presidential debates, but their absence is not the only disadvantage they face. Their names will not appear on the ballot, they are younger than the other candidates and Oren has no experience on the Assembly. No sophomore has served as Assembly president or vice president in recent memory.
Some candidates say it is doubtful Kim and Oren can win.
"I don't think they will effect the race unless they make some major moves," said vice presidential candidate Dave Altman '99.
Nahoko Kawakyu '99, a write-in candidate for vice president, said she is "not too worried."
Kim, who has served on the 2000 Class Council and the Assembly, and Oren, who also served on the Class Council, said their age will not hinder their candidacy.
"I'd like to think that people are going to look past our age or year and say who is going to do the best job for them," Oren said. "We think they'll find the answer in Kathy and I."
Kim said she is not worried she and Oren will not appear with the other candidates on the ballot, and she said a week is plenty of time for them to publicize their campaign.
"It's a really small campus and everyone sees what is going on," Kim said. "I don't think time is a problem at all."
