The Traveler

Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Lael Simons Jordan Calicott, Jong Shin and Nick Tingquist campaign in front of the union during lunch on Tuesday for the ASG election. Voting for the elections began yesterday.

Passion, experience and a desire to make a difference are prerequisites to run for either of the top two executive positions in student government, ASG presidential and vice-presidential candidates said. Sleep, apparently, is not.

"To describe the campaign process, I'd have to start out with 'no sleep,'" vice-presidential candidate Jong Shin said.

Despite whatever stress executive election campaigning causes, however, candidates said they still relish the opportunity to meet new people, exchange ideas and make an impression.

"My adrenaline is rushing," presidential candidate Andrew "Vu" Ritchie said. "I love campaign season - not because I'm very competitive, but because you're in a position to make a difference, to leave a long-lasting impression."

Campaigning is not about who can throw the biggest cook-out or who can give away the most donuts, presidential candidate Carter Ford said.

"It's about staying true to yourself, meeting new people and sharing ideas," he said. "If you're not true to yourself, you're not going to make it through these two weeks. If I stay true to myself in all of this, then I'm a winner to me."

A presidential or vice-presidential candidacy can serve as a megaphone for student views, and, for at least a couple of candidates, the exposure that comes with actively campaigning for office was among several motivations to run.

"For me, this campaign is not about losing or winning, but about talking through issues that otherwise wouldn't be talked about," presidential candidate Jacob Holloway said.

Holloway's running mate, Neema Iyer, wanted to run to become a voice for international students, she said.

Vice-presidential candidate DeShon Wilson is grateful to have had the chance to promote his opinions, he said, because he thinks there is a greater likelihood that his ideas will be converted to reality, regardless of whether he is elected vice president.

"This campaign has put me and my ideas out there," Wilson said. "And I feel like, if I don't get elected, I can still take my ideas to whoever does, and they will work to make them happen."

Continued...

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