The newly elected 2008-2009 Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate nominated three candidates last night for this month's presidential election.
Sophomores Duncan Pickard and C.J. Mourning and junior Elton Sykes have received the nod to run in the April 23 contest.
During yesterday's meeting, the candidates explained their visions for the Senate and the university in general and highlighted specific project ideas.
Mourning, the 2007-2008 chair of the Senate's Services Committee and a member of the Senate's Allocations Board (ALBO), drew on her experience in various roles on Senate to explain why she should be nominated and elected.
"Whether I was working on Services or ... on ALBO or helping out with Dance Marathon, I have shown a tremendous amount of dedication," she said. Mourning also said that, as president, she would focus on ensuring that Tufts students would be able to enjoy their time at college.
Pickard, the 2007-2008 Senate parliamentarian and a member of the ALBO, presented a vision for "a more unified" Tufts campus. He focused on strengthening the university community, making this campus safer, tackling diversity issues and improving collaboration between student groups.
"My vision for that is an online campus community," he said, explaining that an online network would make it easier for student-group leaders to communicate and receive information about funding and resources for programming.
Sykes, the 2007-2008 co-chair of the Senate's Administration and Policy Committee, emphasized his campaign's focus on three elements of the student "experience."
"My whole reason for running for president is to improve your Tufts experience though security, social life and residential life," he told senators, detailing specific plans for improving all three areas. With regard to social life, he said the Senate should focus on improving current programming rather than on expanding the number of programs available.
The format of the meeting last night involved candidates' opening remarks, followed by a question-and-answer session and closing remarks. Nominations required a two-thirds majority by secret ballot.
The candidates will participate in two debates between now and the election. All three were reelected last week to the Senate for next year, and all expressed interest during last night's meeting in staying on Senate even if they lose the presidential election.
