Will Hix '12 will campaign as a write-in candidate in the election for student body president, despite his ineligibility to run under rules determined by the Election Planning and Advisory Committee and upheld by a Student Assembly vote last week, he said in an interview with The Dartmouth on Monday morning.
Hix, who said he served a one-term suspension during Winter 2011 due to disorderly conduct and being a minor in possession of alcohol, will still run despite an EPAC ruling that prohibits students who have been suspended from the College from running for student body president or vice president.
Hix protested the new rule in appeals to EPAC, the General Assembly and the College administration, but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Although EPAC Chair Harry Enten '11 declined to comment about specific candidates, he said write-in candidates are subject to the same eligibility rules as those who submit petitions to be on the ballot.
"The voting system will accept any student who is currently in the [Dartmouth Network Directory] but again, the eligibility requirements are the same for write-in candidates as those who submit petitions," Enten said.
While EPAC verifies the eligibility of candidates who turn in petitions, the committee does not review the eligibility of write-in candidates until after the election has taken place, Enten said.
Hix acknowledged his ineligibility to run under current EPAC rules, but said the student body "ought to be able to choose their president and they can't do that with only one person on the ballot."
Max Yoeli '12 is the only candidate who will appear on the official slate, although Aaron Limonthas '12 confirmed his intent to run as a write-in candidate just after midnight on Monday morning, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Hix said he intends to adhere to all EPAC rules concerning campaigning and will use what he learned as a result of his suspension to aid him in his campaign.
"I made a very serious mistake and have learned a lot by subsequently reviewing my priorities," Hix said. "I completed [Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisor] training and look forward to applying what I learned to the presidency."
Hix said that if EPAC does not modify its eligibility rules with regard to write-in candidates, he hopes it will "respect the wishes of the student body once the results are in."
Hix was invited to participate in the Inter-Community Council debate on Wednesday, but has not been asked to attend the Student Assembly debate that will be held on Tuesday, he said.
Other candidates in the upcoming Assembly elections expressed varied opinions on the legitimacy of Hix's continued campaign.
Yoeli said he would "defer" to EPAC's ruling that Hix is ineligible to be the student body president because EPAC is the administrative student-run board with the authority to rule on candidate eligibility.
Amrita Sankar '12, a candidate for student body vice president, said Hix's ability to run as a write-in is a complicated, and although the student body is "more than capable" of choosing the best candidate for president, it is "tricky" to overturn EPAC's decision after the proposed amendment to the Assembly's constitution did not receive the required number of votes to pass.
Sankar said allowing Hix to participate in the election would set a precedent for two distinct categories of candidates students that appear on the ballot who are required to follow all of EPAC's regulations, and write-in candidates who would not be subject to any restrictions, including rules regarding campaign finances.
Hix should still run if he wants the position, Sankar said.
"If he wants to get the issues out there if he wants to campaign I suppose that's his prerogative as a student on campus," she said.
Brian Holekamp '12, the other candidate for student body vice president, said the student body's support for a candidate is "full justification" for that person's candidacy, and Hix should be allowed to run. The democratic election process should hold greater weight than the rulings of EPAC, according to Holekamp.
"[Hix] is still as much a candidate in my mind," he said.
Regardless of Hix's disciplinary history, Hix has been a viable candidate for student body president ever since his unsuccessful vice presidential campaign last year, according to Holekamp.
Limonthas said his main concern is "getting students what they need," and that he wishes Hix "the best of luck" in his campaign.