The 2003 A.S. elections process marked its start on March 10 after students filed for candidacy by noon and attended a mandatory evening meeting which finalized the roster of candidates running for each office.
Of six presidential candidates originally in the race, one, independent candidate Gabe Grossman, was deemed ineligible by the elections committee for missing the filing deadline, and while his status is undetermined, he has not filed an appeal. Presidential candidates remaining include Bryan Barton, running as an independent; Jeremy Gallagher, running on the Unity slate; Kevin Shawn Hsu, running on the Students First! slate; Kevin Hsu, running as an independent; and Brian Uiga, running on the officially termed “”The New Students First of the Unity Action Parking Wave Slate, Slate.””
With two candidates with first name Kevin and last name Hsu, both parties involved expressed concern over possible voter confusion.
“”I’m not sure what the intention of the other Kevin Hsu was in running, but I’m hoping that it’s legitimate and that it’s going to be a clean campaign,”” said Kevin Shawn Hsu, who currently serves on the A.S. Council as vice president internal.
While the current vice president internal has been known to others during his term as simply Kevin Hsu, he said that he hoped that filing for the elections with his middle name, Shawn, would help differentiate him from his opponent.
“”I think people are going to recognize a strong affiliation with Students First!, and hopefully that will be enough to distinguish the difference,”” he said.
Adding to the possibility of confusion, however, is the independent candidate Hsu’s affiliation with the student-registered organization named Students First!, a political club which, according to its description on the Student Organizations Leadership Opportunities Web site, aims to “”prevent extremists from abusing the A.S. Council; preserve integrity of democracy at UCSD; and to advocate for student issues … through publicity, satire and public awareness campaigns.””
Independent candidate Hsu, a Revelle College junior and engineering major, was unavailable for comment and did not attend the candidates’ meeting, but instead was represented by proxy.
Phil Paulisoul, who ran as presidential candidate on the Together Our Goals Are Achievable slate in the 2002 A.S. elections, spoke on Hsu’s behalf as his campaign manager and chairman of the Committee to Elect Kevin Hsu.
“”The Student First! organization in no way endorses the slate Students First!,”” Paulisoul said. “”We’re just asking for students to vote on the issues and they will undoubtedly pick the correct Kevin Hsu.””
Paulisoul added that it had been a “”life-long goal”” of the candidate whom he represents to become A.S. president, and that he had been an active member of the Students First! club for the past year, holding positions the club titled “”Warren freshman and sophomore senator”” and “”A.S. vice president internal.””
“”Giving the political climate and the tensions from last year’s election, I think it’ll actually be a little dirtier this year,”” said Elections Manager Robin Shelton on the upcoming campaigning period.
Other candidates expressed their outlooks on the campaigning that will follow spring break.
“”I would like to see a lot of information go out to the students,”” Gallagher said. “”It allows students a huge opportunity to learn about issues on campus, and it gives me the opportunity to talk to them one-on-one.””
Gallagher currently serves as A.S. commissioner of services and enterprises.
Barton, though registered as independent, said that he is running on behalf of the “”People’s Parking Party.””
“”Basically we’re a one-issue party,”” Barton said, adding that the party plans to endorse pro-parking candidates from other slates during the campaigning period. “”Even if we do not end up winning this campaign, I hope that we bring this issue to the politicians’ attention.””
Uiga said that his slate’s platform, the TNSFUAPWSS, is based on the idea that anyone can run for president or vice president.
One noticeable feature of this year’s election, Shelton noted, was the various positions for which candidates were running unopposed. These include Rigo Marquez of the Students First! slate for vice president external, Perse Hooper of the Students First! slate for commissioner of academic affairs, independent candidate Jordan Cross for commissioner of athletics, Frances Galvon of the Students First! slate for commissioner of communications, Kelly Vasant of the Unity slate for commissioner of student services, Jeremy Cogan of the Unity slate for commissioner of enterprise operations and Viviane Pourazary of the Students First! slate for commissioner of student advocacy.
Several senate positions are also running unopposed, and there are no candidates for the position of John Muir College junior senator.
“”I think there’s no question that it makes it difficult when you only have one choice as a voter,”” Shelton said.
Another difference in elections’ bylaws this year is the recently approved voluntary spending limits, which asked each candidate to sign a statement accepting or declining limits to their campaign spending. The voluntary limits cap off at $200 for slate candidates running for executive and commissioner positions, $75 for slate candidates running for senate positions, $500 per person for independent executive and commissioner candidates and $175 per person for independent senate candidates.
“”I wouldn’t say it’s a benefit for independent candidates, but it’s more trying to level the playing field,”” Shelton said.
Two referendums will also be appearing on this year’s ballot, one asking students whether or not they would support commissioner positions being appointed by the A.S. Council rather than elected.
“”If students vote for this, it won’t be taking the student’s voice away, since they vote for the Senate that would appoint these commissioners,”” said Revelle Freshman Senator Carrie Du, one of 10 senators who proposed the change. “”Commissioners sort of run like a business in that they provide services, so the Senate should be able to interview them and choose the best ones for the job.””
The second referendum will ask students to approve or disapprove of a $6.75 increase in fees aimed to go toward expansion projects.
2003 elections will take place from April 7 to April 11 with votes cast via StudentLink. The campaigning period begins at the end of spring break at 8 p.m. on March 30. In contrast, campaigning in 2002 began after the candidates’ meeting. According to Shelton, this change is intended to help bring focus to the election period.
2003 A.S. Council Elections Candidates
President
Kevin Hsu, independent
Brian Uiga, TNSFUAPWSS
Jeremy Paul Gallagher, Unity
Kevin Shawn Hsu, Students First!
Bryan Barton, independent
Vice President Internal
Steve York, TNSFUAPWSS
Moneek Bhatia, Students First!
Jennifer Pae, Unity
Vice President External
Rigo Marquez, Students First!
Vice President Finance
Harish Nandagopal, Students First!
Eric Webster, independent
Commissioners
Academic Affairs
Perse Hooper, Students First!
Athletics
Jordan Cross, independent
Communications
Frances Galvon, Students First!
Diversity Affairs
Stephanie Aguon, Students First!
Programming
Daiana Kim, Unity
Rishi Shah, Students First
Student Services
Kelly Vasant, Unity
Enterprise Operations
Jeremy Cogan, Unity
Student Advocacy
Viviane Pourazary, Students First!
Candidate statements will be posted at http://as.ucsd.edu/elections.
Italicized are candidates that agreed to the spending limit. Information on Daiana Kim and Rishi Shah was not available at press time.
