2008 Woodie Awards
Only presidential position contested, Coloma, Iaccino, Wecks running unopposed
Zack Farmer
Issue date: 3/20/07 Section: News
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"I passionately believe we are in need of a stronger student voice on campus. I hear so much of what students would like to see changed and would like to be their representative to act on these ideas," said Vandam.
Other than being speaker of the senate, Vandam is the director of finances and operations for GaelVision, Dryden Hall programming intern, student supervisor, and an orientation leader.
"All too often we forget how lucky we are to go to a school like Saint Mary's," said Vandam. "Our school is by no means perfect, there is a lot that we can still improve, and by becoming involved we have the opportunity to change what we, as students, are unhappy with. My goal is to get more students involved, and thereby give them voices towards improving Saint Mary's."
Vandam came up short last year in the election for ASSMC vice president for finance to Alia Bana '07 but did not let that deter her from running this year. "My outlook for the election did not change because over the years I have learned that when you fail, the best thing you can do is try again. This has been a philosophy that I have carried with me over the years," said Vandam.
Curley has been heavily involved in a number of different clubs and organizations, including the Black Student Union, Pulses, Asian Culture Night, CILSA, and The Collegian. He has also worked in the Admissions Office and Delphine Intercultural Center.
"There are so many reasons why [I'm running]. I want to take it to the next level, personally, and also for the school. I can also bring in something that has never been brought to the school before," said Curley. "My opponents have experience in certain areas. I have reached beyond [in other areas]. I'm someone who really puts themselves out there."
McNeill had been the president of the class of 2008 for two years and stepped down to focus on other aspects of the community. "Joining Residence Life has been the focus for me this year. I truly love being an RA [residence advisor] and all the guys in Justin Hall keep life interesting," McNeill said. "I feel I bring the most passion, enthusiasm, and proven experience out of the three candidates."
McNeill also works for Recreational Sports as a coordinator and supervisor, and is the president of the club men's tennis team. "I will improve the quality of student life by continuing to do what I have done for almost three years; listen and be nice to people. If elected, I will have a greater ability to voice opinions of students," said McNeill.
The presidency is the only position with more than one candidate. The vice president for finance, vice president for student affairs, and the vice president for administration have one candidate apiece.
The current Vice President for Administration Danny Wecks '08 is running alone as the incumbent. The Asian Pacific American Student Association Vice President for Student Affairs Erik Coloma '09 is running unopposed for ASSMC's vice president for student affairs. Merria Iaccino '08 is the lone candidate for vice president for finance.
All three unopposed candidates are a little disappointed with the lack of competition, however, being unopposed does not guarantee them the win. The candidates must get a majority of the votes cast in order to take the positions. According to the ASSMC Constitution, if enough votes for write-in candidates were cast to take the majority, there would be a run-off between the original candidate and the leading write-in candidate. However, the candidates are eager to start.
"My goals are to strengthen organizations from the inside out to ensure that they are successful," said Coloma. "I want to serve, not only the [Asian Pacific American] community, but all the diversity on campus. Also to have a close connection with every club on campus, promote clubs to hold events, to give the students something to do."
"I enjoyed my experience as a senator, class VP, and school VP for admin. I hope to finish off some of the goals I have set for myself over the past few years and that I can maintain some consistency among the exec team," Wecks said. "I feel it is important to help students gain an understanding of who senators are and how much influence they have over the school."
Iaccino, president of the Spirit Team and vice president of the Accounting Association, wants to build on the Lasallian value of inclusive community. "There are many clubs on campus but I hope to aid in revitalizing them so that next year we will see many fresh faces as active members of these clubs," Iaccino said. "One of Saint Mary's core Lasallian principles is living in an inclusive community, I want to work towards establishing a day on campus for the different cultural clubs to all come together and celebrate what each one has to offer and hopefully learn from each other."
Voting begins tomorrow at 8 a.m. and ends on Thursday at 5 p.m. on www.smcnet.stmarys-ca.edu.
All photos for this article were taken by Annie Douglass, and are property of The Collegian.