After several delays due to technical difficulties and scheduling issues, polling for the student government elections will finally begin today, Monday, April 30, and will close on Wednesday, May 2, at 1 p.m. There are four teams of candidates running for President and Vice President, and four candidates for the Vice President of Finance. In addition to these University-wide positions, each college has individual Senate races. In order to help voters in making their decision, this article presents quick summaries of the platforms of the candidates running for President/Vice President and Vice President of Finance.

Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates

Eaton and Fasehun
Alan Eaton is a junior majoring in ethics, history, and public policy (EHPP) with a double in policy and management; Abiola Fasehun is also a junior majoring in EHPP with a double in professional writing. Eaton has served a member of Student Senate's Finance Committee since 2006, and Fasehun has shown her leadership in several political and gender issue groups on campus. These candidates have proposed a series of small campus improvements which range from increasing the number of recycling bins on campus to offering services to promote collaboration between cultural and media organizations on campus. Eaton and Fasehun would also feel that the "Student Body President should have sitting and voting rights on the Carnegie Mellon Board of Trustees," and hopes to bring the student voice to the Carnegie Mellon administration.

Details about their platform can be found at http://bettercmu.com/documents/main.swf.

Engelman and Arasin
Serge Engelman and Joe Arasin are graduate students who bring experience to the table. Arasin has served in the Student Senate for three years, and Engelman has participated in the Graduate Student Association (GSA) for the past two years. If elected, they will work to improve communication within Carnegie Mellon, and will also "work with city, state, and federal governments to enact policies that benefit Carnegie Mellon undergraduate and graduate students alike." Engelman and Arasin also propose monthly "dinners with the president," which will give students a monthly opportunity to join them to a meal and discuss the issues on campus.

Their entire platform is concisely summarized on the official elections page: https://elections.andrew.cmu.edu/platforms/sme.html.

Sternhell and Hudock
Colin Sternhell is a junior majoring in economics; Lauren Hudock is a junior majoring in both policy and management and philosophy. Sternhell has served on Student Senate's Finance Committee since 2006, while Hudock has served as the Communications Chair this semester. If elected, they hope to make the CMU campus a "24 hour campus" – an effort which will keep sections of the library, eateries, and Health Services open for longer hours. Sternhell and Hudock also plan to improve the Senate's online communication through a revamped website which will contain up to date information about the issues and people in the Senate.

For more information about Sternhell and Hudock and their platform, visit http://www.colinlauren07.com/.

Weinstock and Jain
Sean Weinstock is a junior majoring in business administration and political science; Adi Jain is also a junior majoring in business administration, with a double in electrical & computer engineering. While Weinstock has had two years of experience on the Senate, Jain's leadership experience comes from his presidency of Mayur, the largest South Asian organization on campus. The two have proposed "5 Issues," which is a blend of suggested changes. The changes include more power outlets in the Hunt library, assistance to Greek community, and the adoption of a new grading system for freshmen which would limit grades to "A, B, C, and 'no record.'"  When asked about their campaign, Weinstock commented, "Throughout our entire campaign, we've been about the issues and how we as a team can represent you better than anyone else. We are actual, practical change."

Details about all five issues can be found at http://www.cmu5.com/.

Vice President of Finance

Joel Bergstein
Joel Bergstein is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with a double in EHPP. Bergstein feels that his experience in the student senate and other parts of the campus will allow him to approach issues with confidence. If elected, Bergstein hopes to "increase funding for all worthy endeavors," including religious and political organizations. Bergstein also hopes to establish a training system for newly inducted Joint Funding Committee (JFC) members, and would like to better spread information about the JFC to the campus community through media organizations and flyers.

For more information about Bergstein's platform, visit http://elections.andrew.cmu.edu/platforms/jbergste.html.

Kelly Duncan    
Kelly Duncan is a junior physics major. Duncan has identified four issues which make up her platform: the proposed increases in our Student Activities Fee, disorganization within the Committee on Student Organizations (CoSo), misallocation of the Student Activities Fee, and inadequate funding for previously successful events. Her solutions vary, but ultimately offer ways to improve the funding allocation process and getting more money in ways that don't affect students. In particular, Duncan feels that there is great potential to obtain money from outside sources through grants, and promises to lead this effort if elected.

More information about Duncan's platform can be found at http://elections.andrew.cmu.edu/platforms/kduncan.html.

Paul Sudeep
Paul Sudeep is a senior pursuing a double degree in business and economics. If elected, Sudeep hopes to use his position to help facilitate collaboration between organizations that rely on money from the Joint Funding Committee (JFC). He lists four primary issues that he hopes to address:  communication between the JFC and all funded groups, assistance to needy organizations, sustainability of budget, and honesty within JFC leadership. His proposes several solutions to these issues, including open forums, more transparency within the JFC, and student body surveys.

For detailed information about Sudeep's platform, visit http://elections.andrew.cmu.edu/platforms/sudeepp.html.

Joel Nathan Weiss
Joel Nathan Weiss is a sophomore majoring in economics and philosophy, following a pre-law track. Despite his lack of experience in the Student Senate, Weiss feels that he has gained good experience as the treasurer of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He is running on the uniqueness of his past, and hopes to bring fresh ideas that incorporate the needs of all students on campus.

For more information about Joel Weiss's platform, visit http://elections.andrew.cmu.edu/platforms/jnweiss.html.

Now that you have read about the candidates, be sure to vote!  Polls are open in the University Center Wean Commons (the black chairs) and online at http://elections.andrew.cmu.edu/ – it will only take a few seconds and it is the least you can do to make our campus a better place.

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