Lee, Bonner Split Key Endorsements

As voting opened at 12:01 a.m. this morning, the two leading tickets are running on roughly equal support from campus groups, although Sujean S. Lee ’03 and her running mate Anne M. Fernandez ’03 have won crucial endorsements from many on the Undergraduate Council.

Both leading tickets have spent much of the past week seeking the endorsment of campus student groups.

Lauren E. Bonner ’04 and her running mate Luke R. Long ’03 secured the support of Boston Area Students Involved in the Community (BASIC) and the Har’d CORPS community service groups, as well as the newly formed Progressive Policy Project.

Former presidential candidate Stephen N. Smith ’02, who is now working on the Bonner-Long campaign and founded BASIC and Har’dCorps, said the groups’ decisions were based on Bonner and Long’s “vision” for community service. He said this vision is manifested in projects like Dance Marathon, a project which Bonner is involved in that raises money for pediatric AIDS.

The liberal magazine Perspective supported Bonner but declined to support Long, a member of the Republican Club.

“We feel that Lauren’s position on [Reserve Officers Training Corps] and the living wage are sufficiently in line with ours,” said Perspective Managing Editor Alexandra Neuhaus-Follini ’05.

The Lee-Fernandez campaign in turn secured endorsements from the Cuban American Undergraduate Student Association, the Environmental Action Committee, the Half-Asian Persons’ Association and the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business group.

The Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Supporters Alliance endorsed Fernandez but not Lee.

In explaining the decision not to endorse any of the presidential candidates, the group’s endorsement statement asserted that “there is not a great enough of a divide between their positions on [lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender] issues to warrant endorsing either of them.”

While the number of student groups backing each ticket is about equal, Lee and Fernandez last night won the support of current council President Paul A. Gusmorino ’02. Since campaigning began last week, Gusmorino expressed hesitancy to endorse either of the major candidates, even though Lee serves as his vice president this year.

But in a brief speech at last night’s council meeting, Gusmorino firmly backed his former running mate.

“Sujean has been at my side every step of the way and today I am standing by her,” Gusmorino said.

Gusmorino praised Lee for her work on the Concert Commission and her devotion to the council. He said he supported Fernandez, the council’s treasurer, for “cleaning up our finances.”

Fernandez has been credited this year with making the council’s allocation of cash to student groups far more efficient.

Ten out of the 12 council first-years joined the Lee-Fernandez campaign, while none have signed on to the Bonner-Long campaign. Two freshman declined to endorse either of the campaigns.

Bonner, however, said her campaign is relying on personal friends and contacts among first-years for support.

The Bonner-Long campaign has also gained name recognition as jokes playing on the two candidates names have circulated among some members of the freshman class.

The ticket’s orange signs have been transformed by first-years to look like phallic symbols and the letters have been rearranged to spell the words “Long Boner.”

“You walk by and it’s just instinct—you laugh,” said Jared M. Fleisher ’05. “If they can get people to vote, they definitely have the advantage in name recognition.”

“You walk out of the shower [and see the sign] and you gotta do a double-take,” added Josh M. Mendelsohn ’05.

All major candidates spent last night going door to door in the Yard. Traditionally, since more people vote in the freshman class than any other class, first-years have played a major role in past elections.

The Bonner-Long campaign also unveiled its website this week, which depicts Long on his pastoral ranch in Wyoming.

“I think it’s important for people to know where I come from,” Long said.

The Lee-Fernandez website, equipped with flash animation, outlines the ticket’s platform.

Voting for the presidential race ends Wednesday night.

—Staff writer William M. Rasmussen can be reached at wrasmuss@fas.harvard.edu.