Groups Endorse Council Candidates

In a tightly contested race for the Undergraduate Council presidency and vice-presidency, the endorsements of several student groups, announced in recent days, might prove vital to the success or failure of the candidates.

This past weekend, self-styled progressive candidates Jobe G. Danganan '99 and Kamil E. Redmond '00, who are running as a ticket, received the support of the Black Students Association (BSA) and of RAZA, the undergraduate Mexican-American and Latino students' organization.

But on Thursday, the board of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance--a key liberal group on campus--voted to endorse Benjamin W. Hulse '99 for president and Redmond for vice president, citing uncertainties about Danganan's personal commitment to gay rights.

Yesterday, Perspective, the undergraduate liberal monthly magazine, announced its co-endorsement of Hulse and of Danganan, who is president of the Minority Students Alliance (MSA). The magazine endorsed Redmond for vice president.

The Asian-American Association (AAA) yesterday issued a platform of important positions the organization believes students should consider when voting, including Faculty diversity and the creation of a multi-ethnic student center, but declined to make a personal endorsement. Hillel and the South Asian Association also are not issuing a formal endorsement.

Because of restrictions on postering and campaigning, candidates depend heavily on these student groups' e-mail lists in order to get out campaign platforms and position papers. AAA, for instance, has the largest e-mail list on campus, with its postings sent to more than 1,200 students.

"It's clear that [this election] hasn't been well publicized," Hulse said. "Students are not well aware of the candidates. Because of this, I think the endorsements are going to matter."

The leaders of the student groups said they believe that many of the members will vote for the candidates their organization favors, in part because many of the candidates are not well known.

Jason B. Phillips '99, the BSA publicity chair, praised Danganan's and Redmond's performance in last week's two candidate debates.

"They seem to be among the few candidates who actually spoke articulately at the debate," he said. "The field is not filled with a lot of qualified candidates."

Phillips said BSA supports the pair's dedication to activist and progressive issues, such as increased Faculty diversity and the creation of a multiethnic student center.

"Some candidates said, We feel we should deal with quality-of-student-life issues, but they don't realize that [these political issues] are directly related to quality of life," said Dionne A. Fraser '99, vice president of BSA.

"Most of the candidates feel all the student body wants is universal keycard access and other similar issues," she added. "The administration will think the student body is a joke. In the end the administration will respect us more for caring about 'political' issues."

Both Phillips and Fraser said they believe that the majority of the more than 500 members of BSA will vote for Danganan and Kamil.

"It is a no-brainer about who we are going to endorse," Phillips said. "There was really no controversy between members. They seem satisfied with the decision [the BSA board] made."

In an e-mail message sent to RAZA members, A. Lizbeth Flores-Alatorre '99, RAZA's political chair, stated that Danganan and Redmond "have been the only candidates...to contact RAZA and ask for our support." The RAZA endorsement cited Danganan's involvement in MSA and Redmond's "great devotion to issues of ethnicity" as a student representative to the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

Perspective chimed in, but split its presidential endorsement between Hulse and Danganan, urging students to rank the two students No. 1 and No. 2, "in either order."

"What is important is that we select a candidate who is committed, experienced, and capable of both immediate student-service needs and broader 'political' concerns," the magazine stated.

Both Perspective and RAZA criticized presidential candidate Beth A. Stewart '00 for her outspoken supportA-5ENDORSEMENT

The leaders of the student groups said they believe that many of the members will vote for the candidates their organization favors, in part because many of the candidates are not well known.

Jason B. Phillips '99, the BSA publicity chair, praised Danganan's and Redmond's performance in last week's two candidate debates.

"They seem to be among the few candidates who actually spoke articulately at the debate," he said. "The field is not filled with a lot of qualified candidates."

Phillips said BSA supports the pair's dedication to activist and progressive issues, such as increased Faculty diversity and the creation of a multiethnic student center.

"Some candidates said, We feel we should deal with quality-of-student-life issues, but they don't realize that [these political issues] are directly related to quality of life," said Dionne A. Fraser '99, vice president of BSA.

"Most of the candidates feel all the student body wants is universal keycard access and other similar issues," she added. "The administration will think the student body is a joke. In the end the administration will respect us more for caring about 'political' issues."

Both Phillips and Fraser said they believe that the majority of the more than 500 members of BSA will vote for Danganan and Kamil.

"It is a no-brainer about who we are going to endorse," Phillips said. "There was really no controversy between members. They seem satisfied with the decision [the BSA board] made."

In an e-mail message sent to RAZA members, A. Lizbeth Flores-Alatorre '99, RAZA's political chair, stated that Danganan and Redmond "have been the only candidates...to contact RAZA and ask for our support." The RAZA endorsement cited Danganan's involvement in MSA and Redmond's "great devotion to issues of ethnicity" as a student representative to the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

Perspective chimed in, but split its presidential endorsement between Hulse and Danganan, urging students to rank the two students No. 1 and No. 2, "in either order."

"What is important is that we select a candidate who is committed, experienced, and capable of both immediate student-service needs and broader 'political' concerns," the magazine stated.

Both Perspective and RAZA criticized presidential candidate Beth A. Stewart '00 for her outspoken supportA-5ENDORSEMENT