The 19 candidates running for seven officer spots for next year's Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) Assembly will head straight from the relaxed atmosphere of Ivies weekend to full-on campaigning in preparation for next week's election.
"The biggest and most important difference in this election as compared to elections in the past is that this year, we have three to four times as many candidates running. I think it's a great thing," said current BSG President Dustin Brooks '08. "It's exciting to see, too, that some people are running without any prior experience with the BSG, which speaks to the facility with which people can become involved in student government."
According to Brooks, a record 19 students will be running for seven officer positions on BSG.
Three students, including Vice President of Academic Affairs Sam Dinning '09, Vice President of Facilities Michael Dooley '10, and Vice President of Bowdoin Student Government Affairs John Connolly '11 are all hoping to defend their current positions in this year's election. Returning BSG veterans Justin Foster '11, Carly Berman '11, Hannah Bruce '11, Greg Tabak '11, and Jung Song '10 are all current assembly members running for officer positions.
Dinning will not be running for BSG President, despite the fact that he has served as part of the BSG assembly since his first year and was this year's Vice President of Academic Affairs.
"I have enjoyed the work that we've done this year in academic affairs," Dinning said. "We've made a lot of progress on important issues that we established as priorities at the beginning of the year, and we've laid the foundation to reach our ultimate goals soon."
"We are not done, however, on issues like Arabic, advising, distribution requirements, and Credit/D/Fail," he added. "So I would like to be actively involved in making sure they come to successful conclusions next year."
Christian Adams '09, Lynzie McGregor '09, and Sophia Seifert '09 will be running for BSG President. Adams is campaigning although he is studying abroad in China, with Nick Simon '09 as his proxy. Ian Yaffe '09 will be running while abroad in Cuba for the position of Vice President of BSG Affairs.
If McGregor or Seifert is elected, either will become the first female president of BSG in the College's history.
"I'm focusing on what I could do as a BSG president, not on the fact that I could potentially be the first female president," said Seifert. "I think it's important and significant that I represent one of the many voices that the BSG is seeking to have heard on this campus, but I hope people won't simply focus on my gender when choosing whether or not to vote for me."
This year's election also includes a debate between candidates in Smith Union on Monday, April 28, and a voting period that has been extended from two to four days. The voting period begins on Friday, May 2 at 8:30 a.m. and lasts until Monday, May 4 at 8:30 p.m.
Seniors will also be able to vote during this election, despite an earlier proposal to ban seniors from the election.
"We're extending the voting period and holding a debate to ensure that we will continue to have a full, thoughtful campaign," said Brooks. "We want to make sure that the addition of so many candidates does not inhibit people from really getting to know the candidates they are going to be voting on."
To vote, go to (http://bowdoin.edu/vote).