USG president race draws four

Four students will face off in the race for USG president next month, according to information posted on the USG's website Monday afternoon.

USG executive secretary Jack Altman ’11, Brian Edwards ’11, Jack Lindeman ’11 and USG IT Committee chair Michael Yaroshefsky ’12 will compete for the organization’s top post.

“I’m excited to be running on a ticket with [vice presidential candidate] Sam Dorison [’11] because we are able to work together effectively and we are both in touch with a broad range of students,” Altman said.

Edwards said he hopes to focus his campaign on issues that have an immediate and positive impact on the student body.

“As an issue that touches the student body on a daily basis, upgrading campus toilet paper is one of my top priorities,” he said. “While I consider toilet paper to be a high priority, it represents something more important: a desire to work towards campus improvements that affect students on a regular basis, not just sporadic events like study breaks.”

Lindeman echoed Edwards' call for improved toilet paper on campus. "The USG has been a figure head on campus for too long, enacting new regulations that are merely high visibility but very low actual change," Lindeman said. "Toilet paper is something that the USG would have charged as 'beneath it' while it remained steadily fixated on a meaningless goal that the average student at princeton doesn't really care about."

Yaroshefsky pointed to his prior USG experience as evidence of his ability to lead.

“From overhauling our elections process to serving as a trusted adviser to the president, I have gone beyond the defined role as IT chair and worked to improve the efficiency and dependability of the USG,” Yaroshefsky said. “The hands-on experience, connections with high-level administrators and trust of the Senate that I have gained will enable me to lead the USG with a fresh, enthusiastic approach.”

The two candidates for vice president are Sam Dorison ’11 and U-Councilor Alex Pretko ’12. Both candidates said they hope to draw on past leadership experience at Princeton.

"Having served on Undergraduate Life Committee and as a College Council Chair, I've been involved in student government at Princeton since freshman year." Dorison said.

"After having served as a U-Councilor during the past year, I feel that I can use my experience to bring about the more ambitious changes desired the student body, including PDF reform,” Pretko said, referencing the University's pass/D/fail policy.

Current USG vice president Michael Weinberg '11 is running unopposed to be chair of the Undergraduate Life Committee.

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“In terms of specific initiatives, I will build on ongoing work in several areas, including improving outdoor social spaces, increasing the availability of course material on E-reserves, and improving rental cars on campus,” Weinberg said.

Class of 2012 senator Becca Lee is running unopposed for academics chair.

“I'm excited to continue outgoing academics chair Ben Lund [’10]’s good work, and I will push for more student input on any academic policy changes in the future,” Lee said.

USG treasurer Trevor Martin ’11 is running unopposed for re-election.

"Going forward, I look forward to increasing cooperation between the USG and student groups so that both entities funds can be used in the most efficient manner possible," Martin said. "Furthermore, I will also continue to pursue policy initiatives."

The freshman, sophomore and junior classes will each elect two students to serve as class senators.

Current Class of 2011 senators Brian Jeong and Derek Welski are running to retain their posts as Class of 2011 senators, while Flavia Brancusi and current Class of 2012 Senator Julie Chang are running for Class of 2012 senator.

Nineteen candidates have qualified to run for Class of 2013 senator: Andrew Blumenfeld, Caitlin Downey, Catherine Ettman, Jesse Hallock, Jamie Joseph, Nicolas Lulli, Kellie Lynch, George Maliha, Merik Mulcahy, Anthony Pappenfus, Mykola Petrenko, Ross Powell, Chris Remele, Jacob Reses, Steven Rosen, Samson Schatz, Stephen Stolzenberg, Joshua Webman and Richard Youngblood.

Campaigning will take place the week after Thanksgiving Break, and voting will last from Dec. 7 to Dec. 9. Results will be announced Dec. 11. Any necessary runoffs will take place the following week.