Detwiler, Harbour in freshman runoff

Four of the five races for freshman class office will go into runoff elections as all but one candidate, who ran unopposed for secretary, failed to win a majority of the vote.

A two-day runoff election to determine the president, vice president, treasurer and social chair began early Sunday and will end tonight at 11:59 p.m. As in the general election last week, freshmen are able to cast their votes online at the USG website.

The two candidates for each class office who received the greatest number of votes will face off in the runoff election. Kyle Detwiler and Beau Harbour will compete for president, Federico Baradello and Brittany Hume for vice president, Kristen Hudacek and Emily Moxley for treasurer and Stephanie Scott and Jonathan Marks for social chair.

Surabhi Saraswat, who ran unopposed, will be the Class of 2005 secretary.

Both Detwiler and Harbour said they would focus primarily on fostering a sense of community among freshmen. While Detwiler mentioned in his online profile freshman formals and Class of '05 clothing, Harbour has proposed freshman tailgates, study breaks and movie nights at the Garden Theaters.

Harbour also suggested a special program that would help fund study breaks coordinated by residential advisee groups from different colleges.

"I want to create a college interaction activity program specifically designed to foster more interaction between freshmen from different colleges," he said. "This way, freshmen would get to meet new people not only from their own college, but from other colleges, and they would get to do things they normally couldn't because they would have more money."

Detwiler was unavailable for comment last night.

The presidential candidates have proposed a number of ideas in addition to plans for promoting class unity. Harbour recommended a closer relationship between the freshman class and its parent class of 1980 and grandparent class of 1955. Detwiler, going beyond the freshman class, suggested expanding the Frist Campus Center's late meal hours and improving the crosswalk light near Forbes College.

In contrast to the two presidential candidates, vice-presidential candidate Baradello said the primary focus of his platform is strengthening the freshman class' ties with its parent and grandparent classes.

"It's very valuable," Baradello said. "It's a good way to get to know alums and to establish connections among the alumni community for jobs and internships and other opportunities."

Explaining that the Class of 1955 built a reputation of social activism and produced such famous activists as Ralph Nader, Baradello added, "Our grandparent class, especially, has a lot to offer."

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Hume said she believes the primary responsibility of the freshman class officers is to unite the class and make students' first year of college as enjoyable as possible.

"I really want to focus on making sure that we're a cohesive class and also making sure that we have a lot of fun," she said. "The vice president's job is to listen to what people have to say and then present that to the other officers. I want to try to be a voice for the class, to turn 1,185 voices into one."

As secretary, a position that entails taking notes during meetings, publicizing events and assisting the other officers, Saraswat said she aims to keep freshmen updated on class news and to emphasize the importance of class unity.

"I really hope to keep everyone aware of what's going on and to let their ideas be heard," she said. "Also, it's important that freshmen understand that the Class of 2005 should come first."

The theme of class cohesion played a dominant role in this year's freshman elections. Of the 28 freshmen who ran for office, at least 16 mentioned class unity as a major goal.

Kochan said in an e-mail that more than 70 percent of the freshman class voted in the elections, 10 percent more than last year.

Adding that the average voter turnout for USG and class officer elections ranges from 55 to 60 percent, USG treasurer and chairman of the elections committee Mike Kimberly '03 said, "There was an unusually high number of voters."

In the general election, 14 candidates ran for president, seven competed for vice president, four vied for treasurer and three contended for social chair.

Kimberly said the USG will announce the final election results early Tuesday afternoon. The elected officers will remain in office until the end of the spring term, when freshmen will cast their votes again to select officers for the sophomore class.

The elected officers will remain in office until the spring, at which time freshmen will cast their votes again to select officers for the sophomore class.