USG hosts candidate forum for freshman seeking class office

With the excitement of frosh week slowly dissolving into the harsh reality of problem sets and papers, members of the Class of 2004 have finally begun to settle in as the newest members of the Princeton community.

This inevitable transition has cast the spotlight on a small group of individuals who have emerged to vie for the positions of freshman class officers.

As each of this year's candidates rose and addressed those gathered at the annual student government candidate forum last night, it became increasingly clear that unity within the freshman class was a common, if not universal, concern.

Presidential candidate Eli Goldsmith '04 voiced his intentions to facilitate freshman unity by suggesting ways in which the separate residential college groups could be brought together through class-wide activities such as field trips, movie nights and talent shows.

Sonya Mirbagheri '04, who is also running for the office of president, echoed Goldsmith's sentiments, adding that class unity depends on important elements such as joint study groups, social events and peer-assistance initiatives.

A self-proclaimed volunteer worker, presidential candidate Dan O'Brien '04 addressed the issue of class unity by suggesting ways in which first-year students might participate in Princeton-area community service projects.

Dareious Nowrouzi '04 emphasized the importance of voter registration during his speech, and Nicole Apollon '04 spoke of her strong commitment to the ideals of the Honor Committee.

Seth Fishman '04, who served as the president of the National Young Judea Board during high school, said he hopes to address concerns regarding food prices at the Frist Campus Center, as well as problems related to the meal plan system in general.

The sole non-traditionalist of the group, candidate Benjamin "Buddy" Fong '04, seemed confident that freshman voters would decide against a qualified and motivated leader, instead electing a president both "lazy" and "incompetent."

When asked to comment on the election process thus far, many of the candidates expressed disappointment at the shortness of the allotted campaign period.

Having been on campus for only about one month, the candidates generally agreed that it has been difficult to understand fully the views of their potential constituency.

"It's pretty frustrating," O'Brien said in an interview before the forum. "[Students] would need at least another month to get to know all the candidates."

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"No one even knows me outside of Forbes," agreed Fishman. "Besides, I don't like having to make a fool out of myself to get people's attention [in other colleges]."

But not all the candidates said they viewed their short time on campus as a disadvantage.

In fact, Mirbagheri said she is quite pleased with her campaign so far. "It's going well," she said. "I'm not having trouble connecting with people at all."

The seven vice-presidential candidates also stressed the importance of class unity in their individual campaign speeches. Rishi Jaitly '04 and Neha Gandhi '04 both said they intend to work toward creating a sense of community through social interaction.

Joe Harris '04 promised to organize class-sponsored events, and Jenna Steinhauer '04 suggested open-forum meetings and a freshman newsletter as ways of keeping students informed.

Also running for vice president are Emily Minkow '04, who said she would plan toy and food drives; and Yuvon Mobley '04, who said she would focus on gathering student opinions on campus issues. Cameron Koczon '04 said he wanted an area in Frist where students could use BB guns.

Treasurer election

In the class treasurer race, Michael Angelo '04, Janelle Couret '04 and Kerry Song '04 all expressed a desire to handle the freshman class budget responsibly and handle any fund raising when required.

Running unopposed for class secretary, Maureen Monagle '04 promised to keep comprehensive minutes, generate a quarterly newsletter and encourage an active relationship between students and alumni.

Social chair candidates Milo Adams '04 and Jessica Brondo '04 said they both hope, if elected, to organize a myriad of social events, — including tailgate parties, dances and the freshman formal.