The election speeches given Tuesday in Silsby Hall for the 2011 Class Council were a proper finale to what has been considered a fierce and competitive campaign.
Throughout last week, a total of 15 candidates for the positions of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer created posters, baked cookies, recited poems and even knocked on students' doors to introduce themselves to potential voters.
When the candidates were questioned, one of the most important issues that seemed to arise out of this year's election was the campaigning styles of the various other candidates.
One presidential candidate, Derek Summerville '11 stands out from the crowd.
"When I watch other candidates, I sometimes ask myself why they're all so superficial, why we can't jump right into the action." Summerville said.
Accordingly, Summerville finds friendliness in the campaign is generally overrated, and considers his own campaign to be more "mature," complete with a slogan that might be ripped from the 2008 presidential campaigns: "Looking Back ... Reaching Forward."
However, according to Daniel Kim '11 who is running for treasurer, Summerville's "mature" method can be interpreted as a less personal style of campaigning.
"I don't think it's very efficient on our level," Kim said. "Freshmen are looking for a friend more than for a powerful mentor."
Kim, along with Alex Maceda '11, Neel Joshi '11 and Lauren Bowman '11, who are running for the positions of president, vice president and secretary, respectively, claim to promote the more social style of campaigning.
"I think that a lot of campaigns are over-ambitious," Maceda said. "After being here for a month there is only so much you can do. I try to make my campaign very personal -- put a face to the statistics that often times speak for our class."
According to Joshi, he, Kim, Maceda and Bowman are all friends. He said that they all support each other's platforms and want each other to win.
Summerville said he feels like he's at the other end of the spectrum.
"My campaign is ambitious. I could come up with an artistic picture like Alex or Jenna [Musco '11, another presidential candidate] did, put my face on a photo and say 'vote for me.'" Summervile said. "I don't want to insult the student body. They demand a higher standard, and if the standard backfires, well, at least I will go down with a high standard."
The methods of campaigning are not the only things that split the candidates. The major differences between candidates is seen in their platforms.
"I'm 'in it to win it,' as Hillary Clinton once put it," Summerville said. "My postulates are only to make our class better the school, better ourselves, and, in the end, better the whole world. Our generation can see through the bullshit, they know my ideas are not promises."
Caroline Ward '11, who is also running for the position of vice president, already feels a sense of accomplishment.
"I'm very tired now, since I put a lot of effort into the campaign, but walking from dorm to dorm to meet new people was definitely the fun part of it," Ward said.
While all who are running for council positions gave speeches Tuesday night, the stars of the evening were the presidential candidates, who took the opportunity to reaffirm their stances on issues that will affect their class.
"Looking back, reaching forward, that's my main motto," Summerville said. "We need to make sure that the world we want to inherit is ready for us."
Summervile's platform, however, was met with the opposition of other candidates.
"I'm rather trying to get a hold on the present," Maceda said.
Frances Vernon '10, current 2010 Class Council president, said she wasn't surprised by the heated competition, adding that last year's campaigns were fairly contested as well.
"We had seven or eight presidential candidates and they all put a lot of effort into the campaign," Vernon said. "We also had the biggest voting turn-out in College's history."
However, in the course of reporting this story, the first six random sophomores questioned could not name their class council president, nor describe what the position means.
"I think upperclassmen failed to make it enough of a big deal," Summerville said.
Voting takes place Wednesday and Thursday in Thayer Dining Hall.
