President Who? USG pool leaves line of succession uncertain

PJ Kim '01 campaigned for class senator his freshman year by going door-to-door in tiger-striped pajamas. His propensity for unusual nightwear compounded with a tenacious campaign style helped him win that election, and since then Kim has gone on to become USG president.

And while Kim's PJs may have been unique, his desire to find a way to be the standout candidate was not.

Indeed, USG elections, slated to take place next week, often become battles between student government stalwarts waged with cute flyers and groan-inspiring gimmicks.

In most years, one or two candidates appear to be the likely choices. The visibility garnered from their previous years of USG experience makes them the typical student's choice, often through sheer name recognition.

Some appear to be such strong candidates that students need no alternatives. One such candidate was Spencer Merriweather '00. A key player in former USG president's David Ascher '00's aggressive administration, Merriweather ran uncontested for the post in 1999.

Kim, too, was a familiar figure on campus even before he became USG president.

Brigitte Anderson '02 said she voted for Kim because she had met him before. "He had been pretty involved," she said. "He just seemed like he was the next in succession."

Andrea Turpin '01 said she voted for Kim because he had a lot of experience with student government and could name his "point-by-point" accomplishments.

But this year — a year when the USG was less visible as it addressed bread-and-butter issues such as renovating the fitness center and improving Projects Board funding — fewer members of student government have enjoyed the opportunity to make their names known. The result seemingly would be a smaller field of candidates.

Many current USG members said they believe the presidency would go to one of student government's most well-known figures, current vice president Spence Miller '02 — if he wanted it.

"Spence would win," junior class president Ben Shopsin '02 said.

But Miller said he does not plan to run. "It was a hard decision, to tell you the truth," Miller said. "Part of me still does want to be president."

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"I'm leaving it for the people who want to do it," he added.

Miller's decision has opened up the race to a number of candidates who might otherwise have not pursued the post.

"I will honestly say that . . . had [Miller] run, I would have more than likely have supported his candidacy," Projects Board co-chair and USG presidential candidate Wade Rakes '02 said. "Had he run, he would have won."

With Miller sidelined, at least four candidates, and possibly several more, will campaign for USG president this year.

While there were four candidates for the position last year, some are surprised this year's field is equally large. "Everyone sees it as an open forum with Spence Miller out of the race," Rakes said.

The result is a varied candidate pool, though in most student government elections there are usually a few candidates from within the USG and a few candidates who "come out of the woodwork," noted U-Council chair Teddy Nemeroff '01.

"I certainly think that a number of people could win," said David Tukey '02, who is running for president and is the current campus and community affairs chair. "But in my years of experience on the USG, I've seen how difficult it is to become accustomed to how different things work."

David Gail '03, one of the less well-known presidential candidates, disagreed. "I really don't think experience is so important," he said. "The politics of the USG can be learned very quickly."

But Shopsin did suggest that underclass candidates like Gail may have an advantage. An underclassman candidate widely known among freshman and sophomores could prove to be a strong contender for the presidency, he said.

With Miller out of the running, more than just the names of the next USG leaders likely will be different. For the past two years, the vice presidency has been the launching pad for the USG presidency. As a result, there has been an element of continuity in the past few USG administrations.

Rakes, Tukey and presidential candidate Joe Kochan '02 currently hold USG positions, but these USG insiders — as well as some of the USG outsider candidates — describe a rather different vision for the next administration.

The centerpieces of Kim's administration are reports such as Visions of Princeton — which surveyed students on what was right at Princeton and what was wrong — and the Student Life Initiative, an extension of the Visions project.

"I think that when people look back at this time," Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne said, "what they'll identify is that this is a group of students who took the time to focus on the horizon."

Dunne, who is the University's USG adviser, said he appreciated that Kim's administration was willing to work on "issues that might not materialize on campus until students have left."

This fact-gathering role is one of the USG's most important jobs, Dunne added.

"We were at the right place at the right time," said Kim, whose administration had the opportunity to address long-term planning issues such as the undergraduate enrollment increase and a sixth residential college.

Kochan called the Visions report a "raging success" because it informed administrators' views.

But Tovah Rosen '02, a former U-Councilor, was less enthusiastic about the project's impact. "The administration appreciated it," she said, but she pointed out that many students were not particularly aware of the report.

USG senator Jacob Hodes '02 agreed. "Student government is one of those things where people [outside the USG] don't always know what's going on," he said.

And some say Kim's administration has lacked focus, becoming too involved with addressing issues as they come up at the expense of platform promises or long-term plans.

Rakes said this is one of his main criticisms of Kim's term. "It's been a reactionary vision, more than anything else," he said.

According to Rakes, Kim's long-term strategic plans were buried by the need to deal with issues that arose suddenly, such as campus safety after attacks on students and the University's presidential search after President Shapiro's resignation.

"You have so many things that sort of took over his administration and sort of took over many of the plans that were set in place," Rakes said. "[Kim] just didn't have time to address them all. Unfortunately, he had to put those strategic plans in the backseat."

Kim, however, said his administration has dealt effectively with both the shortand long-term issues.

"When I began in USG, most of the things I worked on were short term," Kim said. "I think as you become more of a senior your perspective changes."

Kochan, the current USG chief of staff, said Kim's administration did achieve its main objective — to gather student opinion — while also remaining responsive to current events.

Dealing with suddenly arising issues did not make the USG less effective, according to Kochan. "The idea is to push forward your own ideas yet to respond things that come up," he said.