Baumwoll, Mead race for TCU Senate presidency

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate nominated two of its members for president last night, officially beginning this year's presidential race.

The two nominees are junior Joe Mead and sophomore Dave Baumwoll.

Members of the Senate nominated Baumwoll and Mead, and the nominations were quickly seconded.

Freshman senator Simon Sassenberg lightheartedly attempted to nominate ex-president Chike Aguh. However, Aguh did not run this past week for another term in the TCU Senate, although he did oversee the nomination meeting.

Senators also gave each candidate the required two-third majority vote of confidence.

"The vote of confidence is really a formality," Aguh said to senators. "Please write down both names, so that we can have an election. Those are good for democracy, I've been told."

After nominations, each candidate gave a short speech to introduce their platforms. Mead and Baumwoll both addressed what they thought would a key issue this year -- eliminating the "nickel and diming" on campus.

By this, the senators referred to small fees the average student incurs throughout the year, from pay-for-printing to fees students pay to get their transcripts.

Mead also discussed relations with Somerville, lack of administrative accountability, connections between the Senate and the rest of the Tufts student body, and the fob system as presidential projects for next year if elected.

Mead unsuccessfully campaigned against Aguh for the office last year, but lost with 40 percent of the vote.

Baumwoll unveiled a three-part plan for next year known as ACT. The acronym stands for Advocate solutions, Celebrate diversity, and Take pride in Tufts.

Under the plan he hopes to attain such goals as "moving the Senate out into the community" and increasing diversity in faculty and curricula.

In introducing their positions, both candidates emphasized the importance for the student body to vote on more than a platform. "A platform is only as good as the person behind it," Mead said.

Baumwoll agreed, noting that "platforms are important as a guiding light but experience is what really matters."

Both presidential candidates had positions on the Senate's Executive Board last year.

After losing his bid for president of the TCU last year, Mead served as vice-president.

Mead said his work as vice-president focused on ensuring Senate sub-committees ran smoothly.

During the 2003-2004 Senate term Baumwoll acted as Senate parliamentarian.

As part of the role, he attended and contributed to both TCU Senate and Judiciary meetings.

Apart from their Executive Board positions, both candidates worked on committees within the Senate.

Mead worked on Public Relations and Baumwoll worked on Administration and Budget Committee and the Web Surveyors Committee.

The atmosphere of the meeting was buzzing as the candidates and the Senate body seemed ready for competition. "What I want to challenge the student body to answer, is not choosing which platform to vote for, but choosing which candidate is more committed and experienced," Mead said.

The meeting was the first of the new Senate's term, and recently elected senators Aaron Miller, Neil Padover, Adrienne van Nieuwenhuizen, and Juan Escobar attended.

The Senate nominations meeting took place in Eaton Hall.