Via Facebook and Text Messages, Class Marshal Hopefuls Solicit Votes

The first round of online voting for this year’s class marshals, who will represent the entire Class of 2014 and plan class-wide events throughout the academic year, began early Tuesday morning amidst enthusiastic campaigning efforts.

A total of 69 students—more than 4 percent of the senior class—are vying to fill just eight class marshal spots. The 16 candidates who secure the most votes in the first day-long round of voting, which ends Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., will be included on a final ballot that opens Thursday.

The class marshal hopefuls completed their candidacy requirements by submitting an online form and a nominating petition with 25 signatures. Soon after gaining approval over the weekend, many candidates began their campaigns in earnest, reaching out to their classmates in search of votes via Facebook messages, Harvard email lists, and even mass text messages.

Some candidates, perhaps recognizing the importance of name recognition, sent out simple messages with little more than a sentence or two, informing seniors of their candidacy and encouraging them to vote. Others included a list of their accomplishments and highlighted their past involvement in the Harvard community, hoping to convince classmates that they were qualified for the job.

A few candidates, who said they were running to give back to the community, sent messages expressing a sense of gratitude and appreciation for their undergraduate experiences at Harvard.

“I love Harvard and I have enjoyed being a part of the amazing community here over the past four years,” Kevin P. Murt ’14, a candidate from Dunster House wrote in a message sent to some members of the senior class. “I want to lead the class of 2014 now, and into the future. We have all put in a lot of hard work and each been through a lot over these past four years and deserve to go out in the best way possible.”

Christopher H. Cleveland ’14, a resident of Cabot House, expressed similar sentiments. “Coming from Phoenix, Ariz., I have been blown away by my Harvard experience,” he said in an interview. “As a Marshal I want to see all of these brilliant individuals come together as one class to commemorate this stage of our journey.”

Friends of the candidates joined the effort, sending out messages and emails on behalf of those running.

Undergraduate Council President Tara Raghuveer ’14, who is not a candidate for Class Marshal, sent out an email to some seniors speaking highly of Yolanda K. Borquaye ’14, a Class Marshal candidate from Cabot.

“She excels at bringing people together, exuding positive energy, and she is everything I want in a representative of our class: a leader, an intellectual, a friend,” Raghuveer wrote in the email, listing Borquaye’s extracurricular commitments and asking students to consider voting.

Regardless of the campaigning, seniors seemed enthusiastic about the election. Only two hours after voting opened just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, more than 300 seniors had already cast a ballot, according to Clint Ficula, assistant director of undergraduate engagement at Harvard Alumni Affairs and Development.

—Staff writer Rachael E. Apfel can be reached at rachaelapfel@gmail.com.