Candidate field for UA doubles

Nearly twice as many students as last year have submitted petitions declaring their intentions to run for the Undergraduate Assembly's 25 seats. And 10 current UA members eligible for re-election this year will not be running again, UA Chairperson and College senior Jeff Lichtman said last night. This large turnout -- 55 candidates in all -- will make most of the races tighter, especially in the Engineering School, where 12 students are vying for the three positions. Michael Monson, head of the Nominations and Elections Committee elections process, said this competition can only bring better student government to the University. "The more people run, the more legitimacy student government has and the better the students are represented," the College junior said. Twenty-seven College students will be running for 15 spots, while Wharton's six posts are being contested by 14 students. Nursing has two hopefuls for the school's one position. Former UA Vice Chairperson Ethan Youderian, one of the 10 incumbents who will not be on Monday's ballot, said he has had enough of student government. "After three years, my freshman idealism has finally taken a back seat to reality." Youderian, a Wharton junior said. "It's time to relax and enjoy my final year of freedom." Youderian said he thinks this year's UA has not accomplished as much as he hoped it would. "If you look back at this year's UA and compare it to the [former UA Chairperson Mitch] Winston administration, you'll find that more concrete accomplishments happened during the Winston administration which consistently was bashed for its ineptitude," Youderian said. Youderian advised new UA members to be thick-skinned. "They should keep in mind, though, that anything they accomplish will not be appreciated by the student body," he added. Adding to the number of candidates this year is the Coalition for Responsive Student Government, which had previously pledged to run for every available UA post. In a rules meeting held Monday by the NEC, some candidates had questions about how the Coalition will fit into the election process, Monson said. Monson said he does not think the Coalition will have an unfair advantage in Monday's contest, adding that even though the NEC sanctions parties, it views individual students as the main unit of elections. Monson said group members will not appear on the ballot together and members will only be able "to pool their resources" for campaigning. "In the eyes of the NEC, we see candidates as individuals, not as part of a party," Monson said. In an adjustment of the Fair Practices Code -- the policy which controls student elections -- the NEC agreed last year to allow the formation of parties like the Coalition. Previously, the party system had been ruled illegal. The policy also prohibits candidates from speaking to members of the press.

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