Candidates jockey for votes as race kicks off

With four days to go until online polls open Sunday for USG elections, candidates are shifting their campaigns into high gear.

"I spent maybe 20 hours on my website," USG vice president Josh Weinstein '09, who is running for USG president, said. "I met with two student groups last night, with one the night before and I sent out a lot of emails seeking endorsements. I'm going to focus on meeting everyone on campus."

Weinstein tried to do that last night, showing up for a meal at Whitman College before moving on to plead for students' votes in Forbes College.

U-Council chair Sarah Langberg '09 launched her candidacy for USG president in what she called a "grandstand announcement" during college night in the Whitman dining hall on Monday. "I put a chair in the middle of the room, and I got up and said my piece. Everybody cheered –– it was great."

Though she tried to design a website, Langberg admitted that she is "web-tarded."

"I went down to the media center to try and give it my all, but I just wasn't able to [design a website]," she said. The campaign might give out T-shirts instead, but she cautioned that "it will depend on our coloring skills."

Langberg is also planning to knock on doors. "The number of people [eligible for] voting is over 4,000," she said. "I wish [the campaign] were longer so I could meet more people."

The two candidates have also been vying for pledges of support from campus groups and other USG officials.

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Eight U-Councilors — all except Langberg and Maria Salciccioli '09, an elections manager — have publicly expressed support for Weinstein, as well as all four class presidents, three college council chairs and four USG senators. "I even have support from two of the candidates who are running, but I can't put them up on my web page," Weinstein said. "That's just pretty much everyone on campus."

Langberg said that she also has the support of the U-Councilors but had not yet set up a forum for its public expression.

She also said that she continues to meet with University officials as part of her current duties. "I had two different meetings today with various administrators," she said. "And all the administrators I've met with said that I have their support and that they would like to see me in office."

She added that "it doesn't matter" that administrators can't vote in the elections. "If the administration is saying that they'd like to speak to you, that's a good sign. Then you're a serious candidate and not just the guy that got the Late Meal petition signed."

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In spring 2006, Weinstein authored a petition requesting that Late Dinner start at 8:30 p.m. instead of 9:00 p.m.

The competition is not limited to the presidential race. Mike Wang '10, running for USG vice president, has organized a 10-person campaign staff, headed by two campaign managers.

"This morning we inundated the campus with my flyers," he said.

Wang also started a facebook.com group and had his campaign staff send out emails. Wang said that his staff is working on a video that will be released simultaneously on youtube.com and Facebook.

The candidates will get a chance to make their cases to students in person at the USG debate tonight at 11 p.m. on the 100-level of Frist Campus Center.

The other two other candidates for USG vice president are Roby Sobieski '10 and Kenton Murray '09. Michael Chou '10 withdrew from the race for vice president.

Uncontested races include USG executive council and senate positions. Michael Monagle '09 will become USG treasurer, and Benjamin Lund '10 will take on the job of USG academics chair.

Bruce Halperin '09 and Tracy Vu '09 will be junior class senators, while Nathan Krinsky '10 and Cole Morris '10 will not have to fight for their sophomore senate seats.

Meanwhile, 13 freshman contenders hope to become their class' first USG senators: Nick DiBerardino, Sean Emmer, Brian Jeong, Julia Kaplan, Shawn Kothari, Kevin McGinnis, Danqi Shen, Eric Stern, Kyle Trombley, George Tsivin, Cathy Vu, Charles Wright, and John Allen Zumpetta.