Class Marshal Field Narrows to 16 Seniors

Class Marshal elections edged closer to completion yesterday when the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) announced 16 senior finalists for the eight positions.

Seniors voted in house dining halls last week for the post, which includes a variety of class responsibilities during senior year and beyond.

The next round of the election will begin tonight and continue at lunch and dinner until lunch on Friday.

Harvard Class Marshal finalists are: Selamawi H. Asgedom of Pforzheimer House, Jobe G. Danganan of Mather, Nicolas K. Davis of Quincy, Kadar A. Lewis of Dunster, Peter S. Manasantivongs of Eliot, Sharmil S. Modi of Leverett, Kimble Poon of Mather, and Baratunde R. Thurston of Lowell, who is also a Crimson executive.

Radcliffe Class Marshal finalists are: Elizabeth C. Cornish of Kirkland House, Elizabeth S. Drogin of Lowell, Candice L. Hoyes of Leverett, Janhavi M. Kirtane of Cabot, Amy M. Reynolds of Quincy, Catherine D. Rucker of Leverett, Jante-Charee Santos of Kirkland and Tally Zingher of Leverett.

Those who made the first cut were enthusiastic about being one step closer to the coveted marshal positions.

"I think it's incredibly exciting and it's such an honor to even make it this far," Danganan said.

Class marshals have a host of responsibilities that keep them connected with Harvard for a lifetime.

During their senior year, marshals help plan social events and Commencement exercises, including Class Day. Afterwards, they become involved in alumni affairs, planning reunions and helping to fundraise.

"I think it's a good way to keep in touch with the class for the rest of my life," Reynolds said.

A total of 790 seniors voted in the election for Harvard Class Marshal and 785 in the Radcliffe election.

Results were posted on the door of Wadsworth House yesterday, but the ballots were tabulated by midnight on Friday, said Diane Jellis, associate director for classes and reunions.

Finalists received phone calls yesterday morning from the HAA, informing them they were still in the hunt.

The field was especially large this year, with 91 seniors--48 men and 43 women--running in the election.

No more than 90 candidates have run in a class marshal election since 1989, when there were 106 candidates. There were 75, 85 and 88 candidates in the election for the classes of 1998, 1997 and 1996 respectively.

Jellis said she was pleased with the leadership qualities of the students who were selected as finalists, who are involved in activities from the South AsianAssociation to WHRB to the Undergraduate Council.

"This is not just as they say quite a'popularity contest,'" she said. "We getexcellent leaders every year that are a very goodcross section of the population."

But finalists acknowledge that knowing a lot ofstudents counts.

Davis, a dorm crew captain, said seniors mayhave voted for him because his job allows him tomeet so many people.

"From the days of cleaning everybody'sbathroom, I have ascended," quipped Davis, who isalso a Crimson editor.

However, some candidates' attempts at reachinga mass audience of seniors before the electionseem to have failed.

Students on the Asian American Association's(AAA) e-mail list received a message encouragingthem to vote for former AAA co-PresidentsAlexander T. Nguyen '99 and Grace Shieh '99.

Katherine O'Connor '99 also sent out an e-mailto approximately 300 students, asking for theirsupport.

Zingher said she does not think candidatesshould actively campaign for themselves.

"The marshal [election] is not a campaigningtype election," Zingher said.

Results of this week's election will betabulated by late Friday night and posted on thedoor outside Wadsworth House, Jellis said.

The Hare proportional-voting system--in whichcandidates are ranked in order of preference--isbeing used for each round of the elections.

The four marshals will be ranked in order bythe number of votes each receives. Whoever getsthe most votes is named First Class Marshal,equivalent to the "CEO of a company" according toJellis.

Rucker said whatever happens in the upcomingelection, the class of 1999 will be well served.

"It's kind of a win-win situation becausealthough it would be an honor to be class marshal,I'm sure whomever is selected will do a good job,"she said

"This is not just as they say quite a'popularity contest,'" she said. "We getexcellent leaders every year that are a very goodcross section of the population."

But finalists acknowledge that knowing a lot ofstudents counts.

Davis, a dorm crew captain, said seniors mayhave voted for him because his job allows him tomeet so many people.

"From the days of cleaning everybody'sbathroom, I have ascended," quipped Davis, who isalso a Crimson editor.

However, some candidates' attempts at reachinga mass audience of seniors before the electionseem to have failed.

Students on the Asian American Association's(AAA) e-mail list received a message encouragingthem to vote for former AAA co-PresidentsAlexander T. Nguyen '99 and Grace Shieh '99.

Katherine O'Connor '99 also sent out an e-mailto approximately 300 students, asking for theirsupport.

Zingher said she does not think candidatesshould actively campaign for themselves.

"The marshal [election] is not a campaigningtype election," Zingher said.

Results of this week's election will betabulated by late Friday night and posted on thedoor outside Wadsworth House, Jellis said.

The Hare proportional-voting system--in whichcandidates are ranked in order of preference--isbeing used for each round of the elections.

The four marshals will be ranked in order bythe number of votes each receives. Whoever getsthe most votes is named First Class Marshal,equivalent to the "CEO of a company" according toJellis.

Rucker said whatever happens in the upcomingelection, the class of 1999 will be well served.

"It's kind of a win-win situation becausealthough it would be an honor to be class marshal,I'm sure whomever is selected will do a good job,"she said