Candidates campaign for next election
The second round of spring Student Union elections will take place this Thursday beginning at midnight. Thirty students in total are running for a variety of positions including senators for the Classes of 2013, 2014 and 2015, senator at large, finance board representatives, racial minority senator and associate justices.
David Fisch '13, Sarah G. Kim '13 and Boris Osipov '13 will vie for the position of senator of the Class of 2013. Fisch entered the race after finishing fourth in last week's presidential election.
"I am still committed to pushing for the changes I had outlined in my Presidential campaign," wrote Fisch in an email to the Justice. "I have three main goals and those are to improve dining, housing, and school unity." Fisch was the senator for the Class of 2013 during the last academic year.
Kim, one of two current Class of 2013 senators, wrote in an email to the Justice that among her goals, should she be elected, were creating an official "Brandeis Social Justice Network," in which clubs and individual students can collaborate on social justice projects, continuing to promote test preparation services and planning more events for the Class of 2013.
Osipov, the current Ridgewood Quad senator, could not be reached for comment by press time.
Annie Chen '14 and Ricky Rosen '14 are the candidates for senator for the Class of 2014.
Incumbent Senator Rosen, who lost the vice presidential election to Gloria Park '13 in the first round of elections last Friday, wrote in an email to the Justice that, "If re-elected, I would continue to serve the sophomore class (and the greater student body) to the best of my ability."
Chen did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Seven first-years have entered the race for senator for the Class of 2015: Adam Berger, Derek Komar, Jassen Lu, Danny Novak, James Polite, Sneha Walia and Yuya Yoshida.
"I feel that I have done a lot this semester," wrote Novak, who is currently one of two Class of 2015 senators, in an email to the Justice. "I plan to work on putting together another event if reelected but mainly I want to hear what it is that my constituents want changed," he wrote.
In an email to the Justice, Lu stressed unity and wrote to that he believes "the Union and the University should take greater action to address basic campus environment needs, such as better sanitation and maintenance" in residence quads and other parts of campus.
Komar, the current the midyear senator, wrote in an email to the Justice that, if elected, he would like to create a website with weekly updates on the Union, as well as improve communication with University administrators. "While most of us do not have the time or power to meet with these people, I want to make it a priority," wrote Komar.
Berger, Polite, the current Transitional Year Program senator, Walia, the current Class of 2015 senator and Yoshida could not be reached by press time.
Sunny Aidasani '14, Theodore Choi '13 and Charlotte Franco '15 are running for the position of senator at large.
In an email to the Justice, Franco, who is currently the North Quad senator, noted her accomplishments serving on several Senate committees. "As Senator at Large, I plan to utilize administration to better dining services and facilities on campus and create better communication between the Union itself, the Union and the student body, and the Union and clubs," wrote Franco.
Choi, who is currently a Class of 2013 senator, detailed his concerns in an email to the Justice. "I am running because I still have unfinished work in the Senate and I know the entire student body will benefit from the goals I have in mind," wrote Choi. Among other things, he mentioned making a calendar of test dates and extending library hours.
Aidasani, who is currently an assistant treasurer, could not be reached for comment.
The candidates for racial minority senator are incumbent Jonathan Beaver '15 and challenger Amanda Pereira '15.
"If elected, I would be committed to bringing ... honest conversations about race to the Brandeis campus," wrote Pereira in an email to the Justice. "Most importantly, I will be dedicated to hearing from all students about what changes they feel need to be made."
Beaver could not be reached by press time.
F-Board positions which were not filled last week will also hold elections on Thursday.
Three candidates, Manoo Sabety-Javid '14, Moshi Shi '15 and Audrey Stout '13, none of whom responded to requests for comment by press time, are competing for the fourth and final remaining slot as F-Board representative.
Students will also have another chance to vote for the racial minority representative to the F-Board. The candidates from the first round-Jae Jung '15, Donald Lim '15 and Jiaying Zhang '13-will all run again.
"I will be a strong proponent for events and costs that support cultural diversity and [the] racial minority population," wrote Jung in an email to the Justice.
Seven candidates are also up for election to seats on the Union Judiciary, all are first years: Zach Breslaw, Seth Brody, Gali Gordon, Eric Giray, Dan Schlesinger, Claire Sinai and Ethan Stein. Breslaw, Gordon and Sinai are currently associate justices.
In an email to the Justice, Stein wrote about his previous experience with student government in high school. "I ... wanted to make my school the best place it could be and that is what I want to bring here to Brandeis as well, happy kids in an even better place."
Gordon reflected on the graduation of current Chief Justice Shirel Guez '12. In an email to the Justice, Gordon wrote that "now is a crucial time to keep the judiciary on strong footing, and I am more than willing to fill that void with experience and my leadership."
No other candidates for the Union Judiciary responded to requests for comment by press time.
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