UC Presidential Candidates Seek Endorsements

With support from groups ranging from the Harvard Republicans to the Harvard Vegetarian Society, Undergraduate Council candidates Michael C. George ’14 and Nicole E. Granath ’15 have lined up the early endorsements of several campus organizations, which they hope will give them a crucial leg up when students begin voting Tuesday.

Fifteen student groups­—many of which have personal ties to one or both candidates—have already thrown their support behind the ticket, far more groups than are backing any of their rivals.

But opponents warned against reading too much into the endorsements, saying many campus organizations had yet to choose a candidate, and that they were hoping they would soon receive backing as well.

“We’re going to continue to solicit endorsements,” said candidate Spenser Goodman ’14, who has yet to receive any student group backing. “We’re not going to change our platform. Hopefully people are receptive. We’re just being who we are.”

Yesterday George and Granath secured the endorsements of Latinas Unidas de Harvard College, the Harvard Parliamentary Debate Society, the Chess Club, and Harvard National Model United Nations.

George is the undersecrtary general of the group’s general assembly. The ticket also picked up the backing of International Relations on Campus, the Harvard Program in International Education, and the LowKeys, an a capella group.

But it remains to be seen whether such endorsements will actually swing any votes.

George said he was picking up student-group support because of his platform, which calls for structural changes to the UC and improved communications.

“The reason an organization endorses is because they believe in our platform,” George said.

“It most directly impacts life for student groups, which is why we want to try to represent a broad range of student groups.”

One early-endorsing group that didn’t go George’s way is the Harvard College Law Society, a group for pre-laws whose more than 100 members make it one of the largest student organizations on campus.

After an extensive process of five meetings and a club-wide vote, the team of Tara Raghuveer ’14 and Jen Q. Y. Zhu ’14 won the unanimous backing of the society’s board.

“We sent in votes by email. It worked out for me because Jen is my little penguin in Quincy House. But no one in the Law Society knew that,” said Marygabrielle Prezioso ’13, the co-president of the group.

As Raghuveer continues to meet with clubs and organizations, she said she finds the process of working with clubs to be a helpful step in preparing to hold a UC office.

“The best part is meeting face to face with the leaders of student groups in the context of their board and what concerns them the most,” Raghuveer said.

“It is a constructive exercise for us in thinking about how our coverage will address student needs.”

The duo of “Tara and Jen” said they see club endorsements as especially useful to freshmen, who can learn about the candidates through organizations in which they are involved.

The team of Akshay Sharma ’14 and Akanksha Sharma ’14 have been meeting with several organizations, but they expect to hear the clubs’ final verdict later in the week.

The endorsement systems vary depending on club size and membership, Akanksha Sharma said.

“A lot of student groups choose not to endorse; it’s divisive because members of the board often support different candidates,” Akanksha Sharma said.

Groups that have yet to choose a candidate include the Harvard Democrats, which will hold a debate Tuesday at 8 p.m., and the Black Students Association, Black Men’s Forum, and Black Women at Harvard, which are co-hosting a debate at 9 p.m.

Adan Acevedo ’13, president of the Harvard Democrats, said the debate would play an important role in their choice.

“As the Harvard College Democrats, we like to hear from our elected leaders, from Professor Faust down to who’s running for UC,” Acevedo said.

“We want all members to be able to ask questions about what each candidate will actually bring to the table.”

“Also, the Dems have picked the winner every time,” he said.