USG vice president Josh Weinstein '09 and U-Council chair Sarah Langberg '09 will face off in the race for USG president next month.
Students will also choose other USG officers in the elections, including the new USG vice president — a race that is particularly competitive this year, with four candidates running. The races for treasurer and academics chair are uncontested.
Weinstein's broad goals, he said, include efforts to "represent the student body, facilitate communication between student groups, listen to student concerns and improve campus life." More concretely, he emphasized addressing student concerns about expanding Dillon Gym and the newly announced changes to the University's alcohol policy.
Langberg emphasized dialogue between students and the University administration, saying she wants to bring students "back into the communication process about policies such as the new RCA alcohol policy."
"The role of the president is a two-way street," she said. "It requires being responsive to the needs of students but also hearing from the administration and bringing those views to students."
She added that it's high time a female student represented the undergraduate body, though she stressed that the election shouldn't be about gender. "It has been almost five years since a female has been president, and I think it's time for a change," she said. The last female USG president was Nina Langsam '03.
Weinstein noted that administrators view the USG president as the "voice of the students," adding that it's important to be a thoughtful advocate for undergraduates' interests rather than an automatic opponent to everything the administration does.
Langberg also stressed the importance of maintaining credibility with University officials, adding that overemphasizing more lightweight issues can harm such efforts. "We can't hemorrhage credibility by only focusing only on things like social activities and food options," she said.
Nevertheless, with the launch of the four-year residential college system this year, both candidates said they will address dining issues if elected.
Weinstein stressed that he doesn't see the colleges as a threat to the eating clubs. "They just offer students more of a choice," he said, but he added that other colleges' dining halls need to be brought up to par with Whitman's.
Langberg said she is in a unique position to appreciate the benefits of the Street and the four-year colleges. "As a club member and an RCA, I'm a member of both, and think I really get a lot — and different — things out of each of my memberships," she said.
Other elections
The four candidates for USG vice president are Michael Chou '10, Kenton Murray '09, Roby Sobieski '10 and Mike Wang '10.
Multiple candidates emphasized reforming the Pass/D/Fail option as one of their central campaign issues. Dealing with the revised alcohol policy was also high on their lists of priorities.
Sobieski said he hopes to live up to what he sees as the role of the vice president, which is to be the person who "takes everyone's ideas and sets things into motion."
Wang emphasized the importance of communication between USG officers and their fellow students. "I want the USG to become more accessible," he said, suggesting office hours and free food as ways to facilitate dialogue.
Chou stressed making sure the USG's activities meet all students' needs. "I want to have more far-reaching programs for the whole campus," he said. He added that he plans to work on "restricting the power of Public Safety" if elected.
Murray said he wants to be "a liaison between the administration and the student body," and particularly emphasized addressing the revised alcohol policy. "I really care about student life on campus," he said.
Michael Monagle '09 is the sole candidate for USG treasurer, while Ben Lund '10 is the only student running for academics chair.
Election procedures
Neither of the presidential candidates was surprised that only two students are seeking the office. Weinstein said he thinks other current USG officers "feel comfortable in their positions, and they know what they can do to make a positive impact."
Weinstein said he was concerned, however, that the seven-day campaigning period is insufficient. "I wish I could talk to more people," he said. "I wish I could meet everyone on campus, but one week just doesn't afford me the time."
Langberg, meanwhile, said she is concerned that the presidential race is not a "drop-down" election — that is, the losing presidential candidate will not become vice president. Consequently, she noted, the loser will not get a chance to participate in the USG even though both candidates have significant USG experience.
But senior elections manager and current USG academics chair Sarah Breslow '08 expressed optimism that the mechanics of this year's elections would go smoothly. "The last election I presided over was not heavy on elections violations," she said. "That's, of course, what we aim for."
Election violations can include hanging fliers in prohibited locations, not sending campaign emails in a BCC format and obstructing other candidates' fliers. Any dissemination of false information — such as accomplishments, endorsements or accusations about opponents — results in automatic disqualification.
Candidates who break the rules are penalized through a point system, and those who accumulate a certain number of penalty points forfeit privileges, such as their campaign websites. If they accumulate enough points, they are disqualified.
Students will be able to vote online starting at noon on Sunday, Dec. 2, and voting will last through noon on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
— Staff writer Paolo Esquivel contributed reporting to this article.
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