Council Election Ends in Easy Victory for Lee

Sujean S. Lee ’03 was elected the president of the Undergraduate Council last night, pledging to continue the current council’s focus on student services.

Lee defeated council outsiders Lauren E. Bonner ’04 and Matthew H. Espy ’03 by wide margins in a race she was expected to win.

Lee’s running mate Anne M. Fernandez ’03 overcame a strong bid from popular Adams House council representative Luke R. Long ’03.

Lee is the first Asian-American to be elected to the council’s highest office and Fernandez is the first Cuban-American to win the vice presidency. The two combined to form the first successful all-female ticket since the council switched to popular elections seven years ago.

The Election Commission, which monitors council presidential elections, announced at midnight this morning that Lee recieved 1,485 votes to Bonner’s 695 after the conclusion of the three-day voting period. Espy received 283 votes.

The vice presidential race was closer, with Fernandez receiving 1,361 votes to Long’s 847. Daryk A. Pengelly ’03, who ran with Espy, garnered 255 votes.

Just under 38 percent of undergraduates cast ballots, significantly lower than last year’s 47 percent turnout.

Making It Happen

In her victory speech to a joyous crowd in Quincy House, Lee declared,

“We meant all the things we had in our platform.”

“I think that by electing us, [the students] agreed that we can make Harvard better,” she said.

Fernandez also praised Bonner and Long, saying that “they offered a different perspective.”

“We learned so much from them,” she said.

The crowd responded to Lee and Fernandez’s speech with cheers of “We love Sujean” and “We love Miami”—Fernandez’s hometown.

As the news of their victory was announced, Lee and Fernandez embraced outgoing council President Paul A. Gusmorino ’02—a gesture that reflected their campaign themes of continuity and council experience.

Lee looked relieved after what was a stressful week of campaigning for all the candidates.

At dinner last night, Long nursed a raspy voice with water and hot chocolate, declaring that he was too nervous to eat.

As the campaign hit its final stretch early this week, Lee-Fernandez supporters admitted to being worried about the stronger-than-expected appeal of Bonner and Long.

“We were worried for a while,” said Rohit Chopra ’04, who worked on the Lee-Fernandez campaign. “I’m just glad it’s all over.”

Bonner held a small reception in Claverly Hall last night, where she conceded the election to Lee after being notified of the results by the Election Commission.

“We had a great time and everybody is telling me I should run again,” Bonner said.

Getting The Ball Rolling

Ever since Lee—the perceived favorite—jumped into the race after weeks of hesitation, the campaign assumed a lackluster spirit—a sentiment reflected in lower voter turnout.

While last year’s highly contentious race drew more more than 3,000 votes, this year’s attracted only 2,462 student voters.

Both leading tickets’ platforms focused on student services, whereas last year a large ideological gap divided the liberal activist candidate Stephen N. Smith ’02 and the more student service-oriented winner Gusmorino.

Days into the campaign, Election Commission Chair Kyle D. Hawkins ’02, who is also a Crimson editor, reported that “the ball hasn’t really gotten rolling so far.”

Perhaps the biggest stir in the campaign were the jokes about Bonner and Long’s slogan.

The ticket’s orange signs were transformed by first-years to look like phallic symbols, and the letters 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.”

The campaign heated up briefly in the final few days, as Bonner and Long staked out an area in front of the Science Center doors for most of the morning and into the afternoon.

On Monday night, Lee and Fernandez staged a “light show” in front of the the Science Center, hoping to draw the attention of first-years as they walked to Annenburg for dinner.

Espy and Pengelly never staged a serious challenge to either of the leading candidates. Their campaign focused on the need for cable television and a student center. The two promised to resign if elected and present their victory to University President Lawrence H. Summers as a referendum on their platform.

Lee and Fernandez will take office on Jan. 6, when Gusmorino steps down.

“Sujean and Annie really earned it,” he said last night.

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