Election season has officially begun: the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee released the names of the candidates running for student body president and vice president yesterday after petitions were submitted on Tuesday.
This season's presidential race will be between Chrissie Chick '07, Eddie Duszlak '07, Adam Patinkin '07 and Dave Zubricki '07, while Josh Jacobson '09, Jacqueline Loeb '08, Zak Moore '09, Ruslan Tovbulatov '09 and Santi Vallinas '07 will compete for vice president.
Many of the presidential candidates cited greater Assembly transparency and better leadership as their ultimate goals.
Chick, who has served as Assembly secretary and chair of the Communications Committee, said that the body needs to be more open about its actions and decisions in the future.
"Transparency is my big theme -- with the administration's actions, with the College's finances and with the Assembly itself," she said. "It's time to make the Assembly more attentive to the needs of all students. I have the experience and dedication to make that happen."
"I understand how the Assembly works," Chick said. "However, unlike those who have been in the Assembly since freshman fall, I don't lose sight of what is important to people who are not in the Assembly."
Patinkin, who has served on the Assembly's Student Organizations committee, also listed Assembly and administrative transparency as one of his goals, along with accountability and "bringing student government back to the students."
"Student Assembly should provide oversight and call committees out if they are overspending," he said.
"I'm running primarily because I feel a sense of duty that I should run," he continued. "I think you should give back to the school. That's my personal opinion."
Duszlak and Zubricki, on the other hand, both pointed to poor leadership as the main problem facing the organization. Duszlak is the president of Theta Delta Chi fraternity and Zubricki is the chair of the Student Life Committee. Both have served as presidents of the Class of 2007.
"I want to bring a new, outside, relaxed form of leadership to the Assembly," Duszlak, who has never served on the Assembly, said. "I think that would make it more effective."
"I want to focus on the bigger picture and not get stuck on minor details," he continued. "This approach worked really well for me when I served on Class Council. We need to bring on more of the students' voice, not what we think that voice should be."
Duzlak added that he hopes to tackle club funding, parking and fostering better relations between Greeks and the administration as president.
Zubricki said that he hopes to define the Assembly's role on campus if elected.
"Whatever issue comes up, people need to turn to the Assembly," he said. "Whoever is president next year needs to convince people that this organization matters."
Zubricki said he believes that the organization has untapped potential that requires strong leadership.
The candidates for vice president also stressed a lack of strong leadership and effective organization.
"There is one very important reason why I am running," Jacobson said. "As an organization, Student Assembly needs help, badly, The Assembly is lacking in both its membership and leadership."
Tovbulatov, who listed a stronger connection to the alumni as his primary goal, agreed that the body would benefit from greater involvement.
Moore, on the other hand, criticized the Assembly's efficacy in general.
"Looking to the future, I have a vision for the Assembly," he said. "It is not one of idealistic babble but of realistic action."
Loeb said she hopes to increase the motivation and direction of the body "so the members of the organization will be more motivated and excited to take the initiative to invoke positive change on campus."
Vallinas stated that he hopes to improve the Committee on Standards and restructure the organization as a whole.
"I will improve COS. I think adding more members and imposing a two-thirds vote for the sentencing would be a better representation of the sentiments on the council," he said.
Campaigning will begin April 15 at 12:01 a.m., and voting will take place April 25 to 26.
