Freshmen Alexis Smith and Chike Aguh were elected to fill the two open freshman Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate seats Thursday, edging out opponent Michael Handwerker in a three-candidate race. Of 1,163 freshmen, only 101 students cast ballots, filling the two spots vacated when Brendt Patterson and Vuong Nguyen stepped down. The new senators were introduced to the Senate at last night's weekly meeting.
The election comes during a period characterized by considerable apathy from the student body - despite the perennial list of service-oriented promises from candidates, many students say that they have little or no interaction with the Senate.
"I didn't even know there was an election this week," freshman Christina Bernadotte said. She suggested the Senate should publicize its elections and proceedings more aggressively. Even so, both new senators seemed enthusiastic to bring their agendas to Tufts' student government.
"I think Tufts is a really great university and I want to make it better," Smith said, adding that she was excited to join the Senate after spending a semester on the freshman class council. Though Smith has identified certain issues she wants to address as a senator, she said she is approaching the job with an open mind.
"I didn't really go in with a platform, because as a freshman you really don't know everything," she said. "I knew that there were a lot of things to do, and that I wanted to be involved and work hard." Freshman meal plans and campus discontent are two important issues Smith hopes to address. But some constituents are less optimistic.
"I don't know what Senate does, they don't seem to have any point," Bernadotte said, adding that the only interaction she has with the Senate is when candidates ask their fellow students to sign petitions. She suggested that when candidates ask for signatures, they should explain what the Senate does, and explain why they would like to be a part of it.
"If it weren't for the petitions, I wouldn't know there was a Senate," she said.
This is the second mid-year election the Senate has held this year. In November, three sophomores were elected to fill the spots left open by one senior and two juniors. No upperclassmen ran for the spots, so they were opened up to sophomores.
