It’s an election that wouldn’t exactly please Brian Williams, but it will have to do. Today, thousands (maybe hundreds) of Vanderbilt undergrads make their pick for Vanderbilt Student Government president and vice president. Elections like these always include ubiquitous campaign banners and candidates claiming they can solve all of our problems, which is more than a bit annoying.
Today (and tomorrow until noon), undergrads will vote between Wyatt Smith/Lori Murphy and Fabiani Duarte/Deno Saclarides. Wyatt, the current VSG vice president with Joseph Williams, is probably the odds-on favorite, though I base this on nothing more than seeing more Greek houses with his banner and more students with his sticker. Ultimately, this is what student government elections always come down to — popularity.
Still, there are some interesting policy points brought up by both candidates that should be cause for concern. On the ballot, Fabiani uses his experience to bolster his candidacy. The campaign theme is inanely titled “One Vanderbilt” and here are a few reasons he says we should vote for him.
In addition to their involvement in Greek life, Fabiani and Deno have already begun to create One Vanderbilt through tangible successes. Fabiani wrote the proposal that brought FREE New York Times and USA Today newspapers to campus. He also extended wireless to the Community Partnership House and partnered with the Women’s Center in their Strength Campaign to stop violence against women.
All the emphases are mine (except the all-caps “FREE”). Free NYTimes and USA Today? Not quite. Fabiani should specify that the papers are free to students, but the Dean of Students office, funded by student tuition and fees, still pays Gannett for the Collegiate Readership Program service. It’s a little insulting to be told they are “free” when they are clearly not. Also, extending wireless access to the CPH is good since we are supposed to be a wireless campus, but it seems silly for Fabiani to praise himself for getting services for a building that only a small segment of the student body uses regularly. And partnering with the Women’s Center? Pardon me, but this sounds like blatant pandering. Fabiani and Deno are the candidates for One Vanderbilt becaues they are, in some way, connected to every student sub-group…even the women!
Also from the ballot, Wyatt’s running mate Lori is praised for doing basically what this job is: lobbying for money to be allocated to the most desirable places.
As A&S Senator this year, Lori worked closely with administrators to make TGIFridays, Tangredi’s and Yogurt Oasis available on the Card, bring frozen-yogurt back to Branscomb, and deliver $1.2 million in upgrades to Kissam Quad.
I think Wyatt and Lori have the better idea here. How else do you appeal to students other than letting them know that it was YOU who allowed them to eat and drink at more places on the Card? Also, they may have completely garnered the vote of every Kissam Quad resident with the last part about the upgrades, though maybe there are some sour grapes about recent activities there.
Katherine’s covering the amendments (which we have heard NOTHING about until today) and the results should be out tomorrow evening. I predict a Wyatt/Lori win, but one thing is for sure: we’re sure to get great quotes from the losers, like this one from last year’s losing vice presidential candidate Courtney Holliday. Emphasis mine:
“Ultimately, it’s all about the students,” Holliday said. “It doesn’t matter who actually wins as long as the students have a voice.”
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