Class Boards amend debated election code

The Freshman Class Boards are in the midst of holding their first elections under a newly implemented election code. After several controversies surrounding candidates' elections violations, the Boards have decided to change several campaigning codes this semester. According to the new codes, candidates will not be penalized if their photograph is taken and published in The Daily Pennsylvanian or any other campus publication. Two years ago Liz Goldman, a candidate for Senior Class Board president, was disqualified because her photograph appeared in an issue of the DP while she was campaigning. "We thought the restrictions were too limiting," said Senior Class Boards Vice President Leigh Molinari. "It was unfair, and starting last semester, we didn't have that rule anymore." Candidates will also no longer be restricted to only 40 posters each. Instead, they now must adhere to the budgeted amount allocated to them. Class Boards Chairperson Jason Diaz said the new policies will "encourage creativity" in the candidates' campaigning techniques. The poster policy was a source of controversy in last year's campaign, when then-candidate Diaz filed a grievance against rival candidate Loren Mendell, who was also running for Senior Class Boards president. Mendell was not disqualified and won the election. Diaz accused Mendell of distributing flyers at illegal locations, a charge which fell under a "gray area" in the election codes. The ambiguity of the "gray area" still exists in this year's elections under Article ii, Section C, which states, "Any gray area regarding printed publicity will be evaluated by the entire Class of 1997 Board." "There's always something within the book of rules that someone can argue about," Molinari said. But, she added, the elections have become "a lot more friendly" since the integration of the four boards. "When it was only the Senior Boards, things were very serious and tense," Molinari added. College senior Leonard Cooperman, last year's elections chairperson, said no grievances from the sophomore and junior elections fell under a "gray area" last year. However, he did say that problems surrounded election polling. "Candidates kept walking through [the 75-foot boundary] or had their best friends walk through it to campaign for them," said Cooperman. "There were sticky points," he added. Grievance hearings for Class Board elections were also brought under question for their fairness because, unlike the Fair Practices Codes hearings held by the Nominations and Elections Committee, they are entirely closed to the public. But Molinari defended the tradition of closed hearings, saying that they stem from a time when the elections were much more "tense and competitive." During this year's hearings, the Elections Committee, which will consist of the Class of 1997 board, will sit and talk to all parties involved, Cooperman said. All of the decisions are made before votes are counted. "They have to come to us and defend their side," said sophomore Class Boards President Neil Sheth. "Basically if someone comes up with a grievance, if it's something ridiculous or if it's legitimate, then he has a chance to defend himself ," said the Engineering sophomore. "It's up to our judgement." Forty freshmen are running for 10 positions this year: president, vice president, vice president for corporate sponsorship, secretary, treasurer and representatives from the College of Arts and Sciences, the Wharton School, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Nursing School. The deadline for grievances is 7 p.m. tonight, and final results will be announced next week after the run-offs have been decided.