News

Adler, Sobelson, Uchiyama Prevail in Elections

Daniel Adler ’05, Morissa Sobelson ’05 and Yusuke Uchiyama ’05 will move on the final round of the Student Council Presidential elections after edging out three other candidates. With three fourths of the student body casting votes, the turnout on Wednesday was the largest so far. “Allegra has done a great job organizing, and it’s great that so many people voted,” Uchiyama said. He continued, “I think it reflects how well organized the process has been and how interested in it the student body is,” added Uchiyama. Secretary of Student Government Anthony Reyes said he was pleased by the participation of the student body not only in the election process but also in the debates. He noted that a debate broadcasted on WPAA attracted an audience of over 200 people. “I think the WPAA debate really allowed for candidates to address direct questions about issues, not only from the moderators but also from the rest of the student body,” Reyes said. “I think the candidates did a great job taking full advantage of such a great opportunity,” he added. For the candidates, the latest vote marks a step closer to the end of the race. “It’s been a long and tough campaign, taking over all of my free time,” Adler said. “It’s also been a great opportunity to connect with students from all classes and listen to their ideas.” The candidates have engaged in real creative ways of campaigning. Web pages, customized pencils, t-shirts, and posters have appeared across campus in recent weeks. “Throughout this process, I have learned an incredible amount about the student body, and the importance of communication in the community,” Sobelson said. Commenting on the WPAA debate she said that she was “extremely impressed with the ideas that the other candidates set forth,” and commended the other candidates on their “respectful, organized and thoughtful manner.” Sobelson said that she “can only hope that students will continue to provide their insight as they have done in the previous weeks.” “I can’t wait for more opportunities to get input from the student body and for more discussions to arise about the issues that are being brought up by each of the candidates,” Uchiyama said. “I would like it if there were more debates from now to April 7th, in order for the student body to be really sure about the standpoint of every candidate before having to make a decision,” he continued. “I really look forward for more focused participation on the part of the student body in order for us, the candidates, to address their more specific concerns.” All of the candidates seek to reinstate the off campus programs that were cut last spring due to budget restraints. But what has attracted the attention of many students have been the original ideas every candidate has come up with. Adler, for example, seeks to get delivery hours extended to later so that students can get food later at night and not go to bed on an empty stomach. Sobelson advocates for better communication between the student body, the student government and faculty. Finally, Uchiyama is looking to change extracurricular schedules to some schedules that don’t overlap as much, so that students can take full advantage of all the opportunities Andover offers. Now the candidates start the process of constructing their speeches that they will deliver at the all-school-meeting on April 7th. “Now that I get a chance to speak at ASM, the school will get a chance to hear my ideas about DC reform, bookstore lines and improvements in Commons and the student activities program,” Adler said. “The enthusiasm from the voters has been outstanding this year. I enjoyed sitting down with the candidates on Tuesday night’s debate and hearing more about their ideas. I think Dan, Yusuke, and Morissa have run impressive campaigns. I look forward to hearing them speak in April,” current school president Allegra Asplundh-Smith ’04 said. The final election will be held on April 7th, to decide the 2004-2005 Phillips Academy school- president. The candidates said they were “really excited” about getting this far. They all said they were eager to get working on their speeches