By Evan Hughes
'Tis the season for posters and politics.
On Mon., Apr. 8 at 8 a.m., the Yale College Council '96 campaign season officially began. Since then, the campus has been bombarded with campaign posters, as hopefuls vie for five coveted YCC positions: UOFC Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and President.
The most sought-after position, of course, is that of the presidency. The consensus is that this year's elections are more visible and well-contested than ever before. Twenty-three candidates are running for five positions, and all are doing so with notable effort and enthusiasm. Some say Yale owes this new-found campaign commitment to one person-Jonathan Klein, TC '97, this year's YCC president.
"It used to be that YCC campaigns were boring and pathetic," Kameron Hoang, TD '97, one of this year's presidential hopefuls, said. "Jon Klein changed all that." The first YCC president ever elected as a sophomore, Klein skipped classes for a week to campaign. By most accounts, his campaign simply outdid those of his elders.
Others claim that this year's election fever is due to the YCC's increased visibility over the past year. Presidential candidate Ian Doescher, SY '99, said, "The YCC has made itself so present. [There is] a real urge to continue with that." Mehul Patel, BK '98, another candidate for president, added, "The YCC has made a lot of progress as an effective organization."
On the other hand, candidates are also motivated by the view that there is much more work to be done. One of those expressing his dissatisfaction is Presidential hopeful Andrew Healy, CC '98. "I'm running because I think some things need to be changed.... The YCC hasn't been able to achieve what a student government ought to achieve," Healy said.
Klein agreed that things have changed very much since the beginning of his tenure. "The candidates campaigning this year think that they can make a change, and that's great," he said. Though Klein acknowledged that issues such as Career Services reform and campus security have carried over from last year's campaign, he thinks that YCC's successes with Spring Fling and universal access have encouraged candidates to be ambitious. "Last year no one was talking about building a student center or getting a student seat on the Yale Corporation," he said.
Still, Klein warned against the trend of candidates biting off more than they can chew. "It's pretty tough to do everything.... If I were running this year, I'd be saying, 'I'm going to continue to work for a great Winter Ball and Spring Fling, and beyond that I'm going to put my effort into one or two issues so that I can really tackle them," Klein said.
What are this year's candidates saying?
First alphabetically among the candidates for President is Tyson Belanger, ES '98. Acknowledging the success of Spring Fling and the Winter Ball, Belanger said "The YCC has established itself as a legitimate campus-wide activities committee." But he would like to see undergrads have input in areas traditionally uninfluenced by student opinion, such as the tenure process, the upkeep of facilities, and the actions of the Yale Corporation. Belanger's platform includes an October break after midterms, an online service for purchasing used books, and a modifying Cr/D/F system so students could receive an A or A- in a class designated as Cr/D/F. Belanger's campaign emphasizes his experience. In addition to serving two years as a member of the Stiles College Council, Belanger has been a member of over 10 YCC committees during his 2-year tenure as a YCC representative.
Ray Deck, BR '97, the current editor-in-chief of Rumpus, has never been a member of the YCC. Since Deck wants to completely alter the focus of the Council, he believes that previous YCC experience is irrelevent. While Deck believes that other candidates are running "to stuff their résumés" and, with a quote from Shakespeare, said that other campaigns were "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Deck said he is running because "Everybody has to lighten up." Deck, who describes himself as "pro-sex, pro-alcohol, and anti-everything else," believes that the YCC should be squarely focused on student social life. He proposed that YCC money ought to be channeled to the residential colleges, where it should be spent on student parties and other entertainment.
Ian Doescher, SY '99, is the only freshman running for the Presidency. He pointed to Klein's election as evidence that youth is not a weakness. "I might not know as much about the YCC as some people, but I am definitely a quick learner," he said. Doescher stated that being president of the student body at his 1,700-student high school gives him experience relevant to the position of YCC President. Doescher allowed that he is "not necessarily the only candidate who will make a good President," but he added that his enthusiasm and drive make him well-suited to the job. The central idea of Doescher's campaign is his proposal to have a weekly or monthly open forum for students to voice their concerns to Dean Brodhead and President Levin.
The focus of Andrew Healy's campaign is change, and getting a student seat on the Yale Corporation is his priority. He said, "Almost every decision of any importance to the College is made [in Corporation meetings]. Students are shut out." Healy also advocates meal plan reform; he wants students to be able to use flex dollars and credit for unused meals as payment in the residential college butteries. More student input on tenure decisions and the selection of Class Day speakers are other tenets of his campaign. Healy has never been on the YCC, but contends that his inexperience on the Council is a point in his favor, because he believes that the organization needs fundamental change. Healy pointed to his considerable campus involvement in SMArT, the Mock Trial Team, and intramural athletics as evidence of his capacity for committed enthusiasm.
The force behind Kameron Hoang's campaign is dissatisfaction. He said, "The only reason I'm running is that I'm unhappy with the way things are going." Although Hoang has never been involved in student government and is most widely known for authoring the "Dirtbags" comic. He charges that the YCC hasn't adequately defended student rights. He thinks the Council ought to have put up a fight when it was decided that sophomores would be forced to live on campus. He said, "Nobody cared because the decision wasn't going to affect them. That's wrong. Now the same thing is happening with the new change in the Cr/D/F policy." One of Hoang's specific priorities is putting a stop to the proposal to cut student financial aid to those living off campus. Hoang also wants to increase student involvement in the YCC by holding meetings in a different dining hall each week and by invitng members of other campus organization to attend meetings.
For Mehul Patel, becoming YCC President would be the culmination of a history of passionate involvement in student government. Patel joined the Council in his freshman year and became the first "associate member," a title created for Patel to recognize the fact that he attended all the YCC meetings without being elected. As a "lifer" on the YCC and as the BK rep this year, Patel said he has built a great rapport with the Administration. Patel has high hopes for the YCC. He said, "I don't see why Yale's student body shouldn't lead the country as a model of success." Patel hopes to create a campus-wide email list to keep students informed and allow feedback. He also wants to work for real progress on a student center, a student seat on the Corporation, and improved spirit for Yale athletics.
Last, but not least, among the presidential candidates is Stephen Seymour, BR '98. He believes that the YCC has developed a strong foundation within the student body, but he adds that that foundation can be built upon. With four terms on the YCC, the last two as chairman of Student Activities, Seymour contends that he is the most experienced candidate. One of his short-term goals as president would be to give each student a hand-held emergency device that would be wired to a campus-wide "triangular detection security system." Seymour hopes to establish a greater relationship between Yale students and the area entertainment centers, such as Toad's, the Palace, and the Shubert Theater. Like Belanger, Seymour believes that allowing students to receive high grades in Cr/D/F classes will "eliminate faculty angst" at what they perceive as abuse of the system.
According to Klein, "The strike has changed the dynamics of the campaign." Direct person-to-person campaigning in the college dining halls and in Commons has been impossible, forcing candidates to rely almost solely on posters. At least one candidate, Mehul Patel, has also put up a web site.
Furthermore, lack of dining hall service has also forced the YCC to come up with alternate ways of voting. The result is the new computer voting system. To vote, students can log in to the Pantheon system and type 'vote' at the prompt. Opinion is divided as to what effect this innovation will have. Deck believes that because email voting requires more student initiative, this election will have "the lowest voter turnout ever." Although Klein acknowledged that the innovation has its risks, he said, "The email system makes voting more accessible." He added, "I expect a decent turnout."
Email voting for the YCC began on Thurs., Apr. 11 at 5:00 p.m., and will continue through 1 p.m. on Sun., Apr. 14.
Copyright 1996, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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