Few attend elections debates

Candidates for Class of 2009 president and Class of 2011 vice president attempted to distinguish themselves from their opponents in a sparsely attended debate at Frist Campus Center last night. Angela Cai ’09, managing editor of The Daily Princetonian, moderated the debate.

Alec Williams ’09 and Grant Bermann ’09, who are competing to be president of their class for senior year, spoke about the importance of class unity.

Bermann, the three-time incumbent, added that after students join eating clubs and residential colleges or go independent, upperclassmen can “lose touch with [other] members of [their class].”

“That’s why class government is so important ... as a way for students to come together,” he said.

When asked what special skills they would bring to the position, each candidate explained why his abilities make him the more capable leader. Bermann noted his three years of experience in class government.

“I know how to go about doing these things,” he said.

Williams countered by citing his involvement in a variety of campus activities, from athletics to initiating an annual political-events fair hosted by Whig-Clio.

“When I see a problem, I go about fixing it,” Williams said. “It takes a lot of impetus to organize ambitious events.”

Williams proceeded to question his opponent about the “promise” he made recently that juniors would receive a year of free membership in the Princeton Club of New York, when the offer had not in fact been officially approved by the club. Williams, however, praised the initiative as a good idea.

Bermann responded that he was able to make that promise “with confidence” because he has a “personal relationship” with the governor of the club.

Candidates for Class of 2011 vice president Trevor Martin and Michael Perl both listed their ideas for future class events.

Perl said he would organize a class barbecue on the scale of the orientation-week cookout. He also proposed class trips to the beach and New York City.

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“Our class has the funds,” he explained. “We need to use the money more effectively so that everyone sees a return.”

Martin, who is the sitting class vice president, emphasized that the freshman formal “set a really great precedent for events beyond study breaks,” adding that he plans to organize “two freshman-formal-style events next year ... to build class unity.”

A question-and-answer period was planned for after the debate, but since the audience was so small and there were no freshmen in attendance, the event ended early.

A study break with free pizza held before the debate drew a sizeable crowd, but most people did not stay to listen to the candidates. Though the study break was publicized in an e-mail from USG president Josh Weinstein ’09 in the early afternoon, the debate was not mentioned.