Freshman pulls off surprise nomination

Dramatic and unexpected events were the norm at the Ward 1 convention on Sun., Feb. 25, with newcomer Benjamin Healey, BR '04, defeating Alexander Paulson, ES '02, 23 votes to 15, to secure the Democratic nomination. A preliminary round saw the elimination of Michael Montaño, TD '03, from the race, with Paulson garnering 17 votes, Healey 13, and Montaño 10.

REBECCA ROSENTHAL/YH Ben Healey, BR '04, won the Ward 1 Democratic nomination, while Anne Leone, TD '03, dropped out.

Healey expressed excitement about the upcoming campaign. "From now until November will be an intense learning experience for me," he said.

Concerns about Hea-ley's youth and lack of experience apparently had little influence in the decision. "Mostly, people were really excited by his idealism and his eagerness to learn and listen to others," committee member Danica Novgorodoff, SY '02, said.

The endorsement of Healey guarantees him a spot on the November ballot. Paulson and Montaño can still get on the ballot if they obtain signatures from five percent of registered Democrats in Ward 1. Both candidates said they were still deciding whether to continue campaigning.

The seven-hour convention started with the unanticipated withdrawal of Anne Leone, TD '03, from the race. In her opening statements, Leone cited an unwillingness to commit to the responsibility of being an alderman. "I had a wonderful experience running, [but] I want to explore my other interests as well," she said.

Paulson, who was not in attendance, also announced his withdrawal from the race in a letter read by committee member Samantha Jay, BK '04, which cited reservations about the endorsement process.

"My criticisms pertain to the way in which those that were managing the process handled their responsibilities," Paulson later said. "There wasn't very much public awareness, and it was not very inclusive."

Rory Neuner, SY '03, nominated Paulson despite his withdrawal. One hour later, Paulson entered the deliberation room and Anika Singh, BR '01, moved to include him in the process. The committee approved the motion 23-16 and Paulson subsequently made an opening statement.

Paulson defended his eventual participation in the convention by saying, "I showed up more out of respect for those who nominated me than out of respect for the process," he said. Some committee members speculated that Paulson's actions may have hurt his chances politically.

Other committee members echoed Paulson's criticism. According to current alderman Julio Gonzalez, CC '99, members were selected from the list of Ward 1 registered Democrats in order to include people from all areas of student and community life.

However, some students were unsure of what their role on the committee should be and felt that many committee members were unprepared for the convention. At one point, a heated exchange occurred between Liana Chang, SY '02, and Singh, who criticized committee members for not being adequately familiar with New Haven issues. Chang, the former moderator of the Asian-American Alliance, argued that it was unfair to be critical, since she was brought on to the committee for her expertise on issues concerning Asian-American students and not necessarily for her knowledge of New Haven affairs.

Chang sensed a lack of representation from students knowledgeable about minority issues. "Minorities feel isolated from the political process," Chang said. "The committee needs to get the cultural centers involved so that the importance of participating in the political process is fully understood."

Singh stated that the committee is not responsible for representing the entire Yale community, but only registered Democrats in Ward 1. "Given the makeup of registered voters in Ward 1, I think that minority representation was fair, and [I] disagree with the idea that only people involved in the cultural houses can accurately represent minority needs," Singh said.

Irene Liu, SY '02, who exited the race earlier this month, cited a lack of understanding on the part of committee members about their role in the endorsement process, incomplete information, and a sense of disrespect from members. "These are all issues that will be smoothed out by the review committee," she said, referring to a group spearheaded by Abigail Levine, BK '02, that is working to evaluate the endorsement process. "The important thing to do now is move forward," she said.

Optimistic about the future, Levine said, "Of course there is always room for improvement. But I think the process is a great improvement over when it last happened."

Indeed, some cited the efforts of Robert Smuts, SM '01, Gonzalez, and other members to improve the openness and diversity of the committee. "The fact is that this procedure is more democratic than it has ever been," Singh said. "There was so much effort to make sure this was an open process."

"If people felt like they weren't prepared, I don't think that was necessarily the fault of the people who selected them, though the process could have been explained better," Donya Khalili, SM '02, said. "Overall, I was really impressed with the level of professionalism and commitment to making it a productive day."

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