The two candidates vying for the empty sophomore Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate seat yesterday evening presented their ideas for the Senate in a candidate's forum in Hotung Café.
Sophomores Stefan Schwarz and Nick Vik fielded questions from TCU senators and Tufts Election Commission (ECOM) members about their experiences at Tufts and their policy objectives if elected.
Nearly everyone in the audience was a TCU senator or member of ECOM.
Voting for the election will be open to all sophomores via Webcenter starting at midnight on Monday and will carry through Tuesday. The election will fill the sophomore seat left open after Tabias Wilson's resignation last month.
Schwarz proposed ideas such as a book fair at which students could buy and sell textbooks from one another, a Tufts−sponsored bus with stops at popular sites in Boston and a regulation requiring Tufts professors to make their course syllabi available online.
"I think I have a lot of good ideas, and I want to get involved in effecting concrete, tangible change," he said of his candidacy.
Vik during the forum proposed his own ways of enhancing students' experience at Tufts.
"Our college experience should be one of the best of our life, and there are definitely some improvements that can be made here to, in my opinion, make our lives better," he said.
Vik cited three goals he would pursue if elected, including improving the brand value of a Tufts education, modifying Tufts' existing drug and alcohol policies, and improving school spirit for student participation in all fields.
"People at Tufts have tremendous talent, whether it's in the classroom, playing sports, art or any other pursuit they might have, but a lot of the time our best talents go unnoticed," Vik said, proposing student events that would showcase students' diverse interests.
Schwarz, who ran for a Senate seat in October, stressed his commitment to improving student life.
"I believe that the quality of life here is an integral part of a Tufts education," he said.
Both candidates discussed ways to bolster Tufts' reputation both in national ranking systems and in the academic community.
Schwarz said student satisfaction would help in these efforts.
"If students are happy, I think it'll help everyone," he said.
Vik addressed ways to broaden Tufts' name recognition, including allowing other companies to use the Tufts logo and encouraging monetary donations.
Both Schwarz and Vik hoped to bring alcohol policy to the forefront of the Senate's agenda by the end of the year.
"Despite having made changes to the alcohol policy, the number of TEMS calls hasn't really changed. It's a big risk," Vik said.
ECOM Chair Katherine McManus, a sophomore, said the candidates gave impressive arguments for their ability to accomplish their goals by the end of the semester.
"They understand that it's a short term and they're realistic about what they hope to accomplish," she said.
TCU Senate Associate Treasurer Matthew Schuman said both candidates were qualified to hold the seat.
"Regardless of which of them is elected, I'll be really happy because I know they'll both do a phenomenal job," Schuman, a junior, said. "I look forward to working with them on the goals they've outlined and making them a reality."
This article has been amended from its original version, which incorrectly stated that voting would begin at midnight on Wednesday.
