Election 2014: Videos, Debates, Statements

Updated: Now with video of candidate debates, moderated by current President Alice Ju.

This year's Student Council election for President places two incumbent members--Emily Lemmerman, current vice president, and Benj Cohen, current secretary--on the forefront.

Video debate

Current President Alice Ju moderated a debate Sunday evening between the two candidates. Courtesy Exonian Online Video, and Thomas Clark '14.

Candidate statements

View Emily Lemmerman's statement -- "I'm all about pragmatic, long-term changes that will make a difference in your time here, and for future generations of Exonians."View Benj Cohen's statement -- "Student Council has exactly one job: to make students on this campus happier. As President, I will center my three main initiatives around this ultimate goal."

Elections

Elections for the President take place Tuesday, April 29th in Agora (Phelps Academy Center), from 1:00pm to 7:00pm.

Original article

Written for the April 23rd issue by Heather Nelson and Rex Tercek.

As campaign posters sprawl over walls, doors, and even bathroom stalls, Student Council elections season has once again taken over campus. Over the last week, nine Exonians contended for the positions of president, vice-president and secretary of Student Council. After each candidate delivered a speech at Tuesday’s Assembly, the student body cast their votes in Agora. 

The primary elections ended with final presidential candidates uppers Benjamin Cohen and Emily Lemmerman, vice-president candidates uppers David Liu and Robert Conner, and secretary candidates upper Max Larnerd and lowers David Larar and Kevin Zhen.

Since mid-April, StuCo Executive Board hopefuls collected 350 signatures each from their fellow classmates and submitted candidate statements before they began campaigning, and then were free to lobby for themselves before Tuesday’s primary election. On Tuesday, April 29, the student body will cast a final vote to determine the new StuCo board.

“I happen to have worked with every student who is running for Executive Board positions this year, obviously very closely with Emily and Benj, but also with the VP and secretary candidates as well,” current President and senior Alice Ju said. 

Ju continued to note what she is looking for in the future Executive Board. 

“I hope that they are passionate about representing the student voice at Exeter and will take initiatives in their leadership but will also be good at managing the day-to-day functions of council in running all the committees and so on,” she said.

Communication, management and attention skills are also necessary for well-qualified candidates. “I would like someone who will be a really good communicator and well organized,” Student Council adviser and Health Department Head Carol Cahalane said. “We also want someone who is a really good listener, fairly well organized and who is willing to apologize or make amends when they make mistakes.”

Indeed, all the contenders seem to encompass many of these qualities, while also having many initiatives of their own.

Cohen, who is currently StuCo secretary, said that as president, he would aspire to offer input in building a cafe in the library, revitalize activities on campus, give Exonians a voice over the meals they want in the dining halls and reform the visitations policies.

“I am running for president for one reason: I love making kids on campus happier. My promises are a road map for what I plan to accomplish. If elected, I will write them on a white board with a big check box next to them and work to accomplish each one,” Cohen said.

The other presidential candidate, Lemmerman, currently the StuCo vice president, envisioned similar plans for StuCo. 

“I see the opportunity for student council to make a real difference in the lives of students, that I feel mostly lie in better communication with the school—whether it is clarifying what goes on in a DC case, publicizing sports games better or creating weekend activities that have a greater appeal to students,” Lemmerman said.

Liu, who is running for vice-president, said he wanted to focus on the problems and ideas Exonians have that can reasonably be attained during his term.

“I want to focus on achievable goals for next year, things that we can actually accomplish in a year's time. Goals such as a lounge in the library, dorm versus dorm games and other things that will make Exeter more fun,” Liu said. 

Other candidates, hoping to stand out from the crowd, are presenting more progressive modes for Exeter to improve the daily life of Exonians. Zhen, a lower running for secretary, aims to grant more money for dorm funds, create a library cafe, make another attempt to revise the visitations policies and also create a strong “online harkness” website for Exonians to use.

“This website would also be an online tool for Exonians, and it would mainly be used for study purposes, where students can ask other students for help with questions online, similar to Quora,” Zhen said. “However, the key difference is that other students can answer these questions and help their needs, so it would be like an online peer tutoring that happens 24/7.”

Some students have even more bold ideas to complete during their term. “I want to do a LionCard ATM, have food options after assembly and student appreciation events, push check-in back to 11 on Fridays, and reform senior V’s so that they can get closed door V’s,” Larar said. 

Now that candidates are beginning to gather support from classmates, most are following similar strategies in spreading their goals and hopes. Cahalane commented on the most useful methods to campaign she has seen during her time as StuCo adviser.

Some candidates shared the notion that communicating to people and spreading their ideas verbally is the best course of action to successfully publicize their views. 

“I have been campaigning by putting up posters, but I find it more productive to talk to students about what they want and how I can help them. I want the students to know who they are voting for and why,” Liu said.

Candidates have a spending cap for their campaigning, so that candidates do not work to outspend each other in hopes to get more votes. StuCo decided that the spending cap for this year is $20.14 for everything a candidate would need to buy, such as posters and other supplies.