Fashioning himself as an outsider to the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate, TCU presidential candidate Ben Richards, a junior, has put forth a platform focused on rejuvenating the body by increasing idea exchange between student government and the undergraduates it represents.
"There's a disconnect between Senate and the student body. There's a silent majority, a large group of people who are not being heard," Richards said. "Senate right now is working for a few small, select interests. It's time Senate works for the student body."
Richards believes he would bring the outside perspective that can steer the body to new approaches for getting things done.
"I'd like to bring a fresh way of doing things and bring back Senate to the hands of the student body," he said.
Richards outlined a host of priorities for his presidency. If successful in tomorrow's election, he hopes to transform the Senate's outreach methods, improve campus facilities, expand the reach of JumboCash and provide greater support for club athletics.
Richards plans to improve communication by launching a weekly Senate newsletter and town hall meetings where the TCU president could discuss issues with fellow Jumbos.
"Senate has been far too complacent about letting people come to them. It's time for the Senate to be more active and reach out," Richards said.
Richards envisions an online discussion forum accessible to students who are unable to make the meetings or who are studying abroad. He said that the Senate's weekly Sunday night assembly does not encourage students otherwise uninvolved with TCU to attend.
"If two people come to a Senate meeting and a hundred are not coming, then we need to reach out and find out what these ideas are, what we can do for the greater population," Richards said. "We need to put priority in getting resolutions and discussions about what most students want."
Such town hall meetings would be part of Richards' vision of a more proactive student government.
"The student body only starts talking about issues after the fact. Discussions need to start before problems arise," Richards said. "We need to be a less reactionary student body."
As president, Richards said that he would initiate discussions with the administration about the state of campus facilities, particularly dorms, and encourage improvements over the long-term.
Tufts, he said, should follow other Boston-area universities' examples by expanding the Merchant Off-campus Partners program — which allows students to use JumboCash to pay for goods and services — to other businesses besides restaurants, such as taxi services.
Richards' final main platform interest lies in the university's support for athletics, especially club and intramural sports teams. He believes that stronger club and intramural athletics programs would boost school spirit and alumni donations to the university.
Richards served as a TCU senator from February to April last year, after winning a special election following the resignation of a member of the body. He remained a senator until the end of the semester, leaving the Senate in the fall to study abroad. Richards this month walked on to next year's Senate in an uncontested election.
Junior Michael Bendetson, Richards' campaign manager, believed Richards' time on the Senate allows him knowledge of the inner workings of the body while maintaining an outsider's perspective. His experience interning for Gov. Deval Patrick (D-Mass.) and U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) also gave him a nuanced look into governing, he said.
"Ben has experience with different levels of government," Bendetson said. "He knows how government works."
Richards has been involved with Tufts Model U.N. since his freshman year and has served as the organization's president since January, according to Model U.N. Vice President and Treasurer Chris Walczyszyn, a junior.
Richards offered Model U.N. as an example of his experience taking charge of an organization and leading it toward positive change. When he joined as a freshman, Model U.N. had about five members; now, 2 1/2 years later, there are between 20 and 30, according to Richards.
"I know how to reinvigorate an institution … and turn it into something that's accessible to students," he said.
Walczyszyn credited Richards for this resurgence.
"He rallied for our budget, went out there to try and get us more money because the club has been growing," he said.
Bendetson also sees Richards' involvement in Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and his past service on the Inter-Greek Council as a valuable connection to underrepresented portions of the student population
Rather than a drawback, Richards said the small amount of time he has spent on the Senate gives him an advantage over his opponent, junior Tomas Garcia, who has served on the body for close to two years.
"It's an inherent problem with Senate that [seats are] passed down," Richards said. "I bring an outside perspective."
Yet TCU senator Meredith Goldberg, Garcia's campaign manager, believes that her candidate's service on the Senate gives him a leg up over Richards.
"Tomas has the experience, but Ben doesn't," Goldberg, a sophomore, said.
Bendetson, however, affirmed that Richards' experience as both an insider and outsider on the body was advantageous.
"Senate can't send the same people back and expect different results. [But] experience definitely has its place, and Ben possesses both worlds," Bendetson said. "Ben knows how it works. He can hit the ground running."
Matt Repka contributed reporting to this article.
