Despite the large number of rising sophomore Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate candidates, the differing personalities in today's election have a general consensus on policy goals.
This year's TCU Senate race has been particularly popular, with 14 candidates competing for the sophomore senate seats. Normally only seven seats are open to each class, but because there are less than seven senators for other class years, 12 seats are open to the rising sophomores.
Most upperclassmen senators are enthusiastic about this year's crop of potential senators, with eight of the current nine freshman senators running for re-election, and six new students looking to gain the rising sophomore position.
The candidates are freshmen senators David Baumwoll, Jason Bauer, Rafi Goldberg, Jeff Katzin, Cho Ling, Alex Mendell, Chloe Snider, Jose Vazquez, and John Valentine. The new faces in the Senate race are Chris Eager, Diana Fox, Katie Herr, and Kyra Jackivicz, as well as John Gais, who was unable to attend the debate.
Despite the large number of students running for Senate seats, there appears to be little enthusiasm among the rest of the class, with almost no freshmen attending the Monday night candidates' debate in Hotung Caf?©. "These forums don't seem to be working," current Senator John Valentine said.
In order to encourage involvement in campus issues, Senator Chloe Snider proposed e-mailing students on a regular basis and offering food at open forums.
The candidates onstage often appeared bored as they listened to each other discuss a variety of topics, from on-campus drinking to the importance of having an experienced Senate.
The candidates pledged to try to find ways to solve the issue of student apathy. Many supported the new senate outreach program's attempt to meet with nearly every student, with help from student groups.
Some candidates had different views regarding senate outreach. Senator Alex Mendell doubted that the outreach program would be successful. According to Mendell, it is less important to engage students than to ensure that routes are open for students to come to senators when they have problems.
There was also a majority consensus in support of the Greek system. "I will not tolerate any attempt by the administration to get rid of [the Greek system]," Senator Rafi Goldberg said.
Despite the general support of Greek Life at Tufts, none of the candidates offered concrete plans on how to lobby the administration on the issue, although several addressed the need to change the system if it is to continue at Tufts. "[Greek life] strays recklessly dangerous at times," Senator Cho Ling said.
Many of the candidates were supportive of President Larry Bacow's Taskforce on the Undergraduate Experience. The Taskforce will publish a report at the end of the year to establish how Tufts can improve undergraduate life and community on campus.
Other candidates expressed doubts about the Taskforce's recommendation for a college system, which would divide the campus into different houses in an attempt to foster a closer community. Katzin and Vazquez both said that they were concerned such a system would do more to divide campus than act to unite it.
Among the candidates, Katzin carried the most impressive resume, claiming to have had intensive involvement in a number of changes and improvements to Health Services, the Spring Break shuttle, as well as attempts to reform the University's alcohol policy.
"I actually do things for students, rather than talk up for them," Katzin said of his first year with the Senate.
But not all candidates appeared so well prepared. One candidate, Diana Fox, was unsure of the details of the Taskforce's interim report, and many of candidate Chris Eager's attempts at jokes fell short with the small audience.
All of the candidates pledged to work hard for students, and said they would find other ways to become involved in senate if they were one of the two not to gain a seat in today's election.
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