Council Candidates Run on Tickets

Hoping to ride a ticket to the top, five of the 12 Undergraduate Council presidential candidates have joined forces with vice-presidential candidates.

Candidates are imitating the ticket formula pioneered by council president Robert M. Hyman '98 and council vice president Lamelle D. Rawlins '99 last year, but this year's candidates are mixing and matching more than ever.

Citing pragmatic reasons for joining forces, most of the paired candidacies hail from different extracurricular backgrounds and social groups.

"Traveling in the circles I do and the circles that [Elizabeth A. Haynes '98] does allows us to know the different opinions of the campus," said Mark A. Price, a vice-presidential candidate. "It at least gives us dual perspective."

By pairing up, Price and Haynes certainly have a demographic edge. He is the vice-president of the Black Men's Forum, while students describe Haynes as a conservative feminist. She's a Winthrop resident, while he lives in the Quad.

But they aren't the only ones to exploit different gender, race and geographic voting blocs. Of the five tickets, two are of different genders and two are of different ethnic backgrounds.

Some candidates are focusing on even smaller demographic bases.

Presidential hopeful and current chair of the council's Student Affairs committee, Eric M. Nelson '99, and his running mate, Joseph A. Sena '99, who co-chairs the Campus Life committee, are betting that a unification of these traditionally opposed factions will help to get them elected. Both are Crimson editors.

Political strategies are matched by economic tactics. Nelson mentions the financial incentive of the $133 spending limit allowed by the Election Commission for candidates running in pairs rather than the lesser amount of $100 for individuals.

But fellow candidate Justin E. Porter '99 disagrees with the economic strategy involved. "I think you could get your name out bigger and better by yourself. It also means that each person gets $66 rather than $100," he said.

Ticket candidacies can also unite the political with the personal. Council aspirants say their partners are more than a way to cover all the demographic bases.

Porter, who is running with Selamawi H. Asgedom '99, says that it is more fun to campaign with a pal.

"Mawi and I are good friends and former roommates," Porter said. "We work very well together."

Haynes echoed the comfort which comes from "someone who's slogging through the campaign with you."

"We spend half our [strategy] meetings talking about business and the other half about support," she added.

But there are also disadvantages to being part of a team.

A candidate for vice president, Michael A. O'Mary '99, said he sometimes gets lost in the shadow of Rawlins, his running mate.

As an example, O'Mary mentioned a recent Crimson editorial which credited the success of the Student Leader Summit to Hyman and Rawlins, although O'Mary actually organized the event.

"I was concerned when the editorial ignored my role in the student summit," O'Mary said.

"But it's not about who gets credit for what," he said, "it's about what's being done for the students.

"Mawi and I are good friends and former roommates," Porter said. "We work very well together."

Haynes echoed the comfort which comes from "someone who's slogging through the campaign with you."

"We spend half our [strategy] meetings talking about business and the other half about support," she added.

But there are also disadvantages to being part of a team.

A candidate for vice president, Michael A. O'Mary '99, said he sometimes gets lost in the shadow of Rawlins, his running mate.

As an example, O'Mary mentioned a recent Crimson editorial which credited the success of the Student Leader Summit to Hyman and Rawlins, although O'Mary actually organized the event.

"I was concerned when the editorial ignored my role in the student summit," O'Mary said.

"But it's not about who gets credit for what," he said, "it's about what's being done for the students.