Four candidates Elena Falloon '11, Maya Granit '11, Uthman Olagoke '11 and Eric Tanner '11 have all confirmed that they have received enough signatures to run for student body president in this month's Student Assembly elections. Will Hix '12 and Brandon Aiono '11 also told The Dartmouth that they are running for student body vice president in the election.
Petitions to run for Student Assembly office are due today to the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee. EPAC rules allow the candidates to begin campaigning at 5 p.m. Friday, with the elections taking place online on April 19.
"I'm really excited to see the diversity of opinions and different ideas that emerge from the election," Hix, who is the current Assembly spokesman, said. "I think that regardless of who wins the election, we always hear a lot of interesting new ideas and changes and criticisms that help us reform and change who we are."
Candidates will discuss their campaign platforms in three debates held next week, EPAC chair David Imamura '10 said. The Dartmouth will host a candidate debate on Sunday, the Assembly will host a debate Tuesday and the Interfraternity Council will host a debate Wednesday, according to Imamura.
"I hope it's a very clean campaign on the issues," he said.
All the candidates except Granit have been involved in the Assembly since they were elected as cluster representatives their freshman years.
Falloon has served as student services chair in the Assembly since the Spring term of her sophomore year.
Granit has been involved in the Assembly since she became a voting member at the end of Fall term this year and was appointed to the Student Budget Advisory Committee, which inspired her to run for student body president, she said.
"After having been involved in [the Assembly] for a while, I saw the potential for [the Assembly] to be that place where students could bring larger concerns and larger ideas," Granit said.
Olagoke currently serves as the student life chair, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Tanner is a member of the Committee on Standards and the Dean of the College's Social Event Management Procedures student advisory board, he said.
"I feel like I'm in a place where I can make some significant changes to Student Assembly and also to campus as a whole," Tanner said.
Students can also be elected to office by write-in vote on the ballot, although Tim Andreadis '07 was the only student body president elected by write-in vote in recent years, according to Hix.
"I very much hope that anyone and everyone at Dartmouth considers running for a student government office if they're interested," Imamura said.
A variety of other student-held positions are also up for grabs on April 19, including executive Class Council positions and representatives to the Committee on Standards and the Organizational Adjudication Committee, Hix said. Twenty students will also be elected to the Green Key Society, a service organization consisting of nominated and elected juniors.
Tanner is a staff photographer for The Dartmouth.
