USG hosts candidate forum for freshman seeking class office
With the excitement of frosh week slowly dissolving into the harsh reality of problem sets and papers, members of the Class of 2004 have finally begun to settle in as the newest members of the Princeton community.This inevitable transition has cast the spotlight on a small group of individuals who have emerged to vie for the positions of freshman class officers.As each of this year's candidates rose and addressed those gathered at the annual student government candidate forum last night, it became increasingly clear that unity within the freshman class was a common, if not universal, concern.Presidential candidate Eli Goldsmith '04 voiced his intentions to facilitate freshman unity by suggesting ways in which the separate residential college groups could be brought together through class-wide activities such as field trips, movie nights and talent shows.Sonya Mirbagheri '04, who is also running for the office of president, echoed Goldsmith's sentiments, adding that class unity depends on important elements such as joint study groups, social events and peer-assistance initiatives.A self-proclaimed volunteer worker, presidential candidate Dan O'Brien '04 addressed the issue of class unity by suggesting ways in which first-year students might participate in Princeton-area community service projects.Dareious Nowrouzi '04 emphasized the importance of voter registration during his speech, and Nicole Apollon '04 spoke of her strong commitment to the ideals of the Honor Committee.Seth Fishman '04, who served as the president of the National Young Judea Board during high school, said he hopes to address concerns regarding food prices at the Frist Campus Center, as well as problems related to the meal plan system in general.The sole non-traditionalist of the group, candidate Benjamin "Buddy" Fong '04, seemed confident that freshman voters would decide against a qualified and motivated leader, instead electing a president both "lazy" and "incompetent."When asked to comment on the election process thus far, many of the candidates expressed disappointment at the shortness of the allotted campaign period.Having been on campus for only about one month, the candidates generally agreed that it has been difficult to understand fully the views of their potential constituency."It's pretty frustrating," O'Brien said in an interview before the forum.