This Tuesday, students will decide on new directions for the ASPC Senate. These choices affect every aspect of student life, from dealing with the way in which student grievances are dealt with to funding for student organizations. This year’s race for ASPC President includes five candidates, many of whom have Senate or student committee experience.

Academic Affairs Commissioner Sarah Jackel ’01 has been on Senate for the past two years. Her sophomore year, she was South Campus Representative, and this year she has taken over the position of Academic Affairs Commissioner (AAC) from Jake Oken-Berg ’02 (who left Pomona to run for Mayor of Portland).

During her time as AAC, Jackel worked to reform the Career Development Office. One project that she would like to establish as president would be the formation of an endowment so that students participating in unpaid summer internships could be paid by Pomona.

She feels that some of the best internships are unpaid, which means that students with less money are unable to take the best jobs. "To assume that students can live in a city other than their hometown and not get paid presupposes that you come from a wealthy background," Jackel said.

Having been on the budget committee before, she feels that there are funding disparities which should be remedied. Senate sets aside a large sum of money every year for large concerts and speakers, which oftentimes don’t work. "I want to spread money across the board," Jackel said.

She also wants to make the Smith Campus Center more hospitable. "I’ve never seen anyone in the game room, and part of the reason is that campus TV network that we get paid to pipe in," Jackel said.

Students should be allowed to paint different rooms to make them more homely, according to Jackel. She says students already want to do this, but don’t know how to get permission. "Senate should be there to give student’s the go ahead for ideas like this," Jackel said.

Brian Andrews ’01, another Senate veteran, feels similarly about Smith. He feels that students should have had, and should continue to have more of a say in the shape and use of the Center. Additionally, they should be consulted as to which dorms need renovation and as to how to better allocate rooms.

As an example, Andrews says that the administration is considering moving freshman out of Walker in future years. He would want input from freshmen who had lived in Walker in past years as to whether or not they felt housing freshmen in singles in Walker is a good idea.

More significant to Andrews, however, is the Student Grievance Committee. By California State Law, Pomona College is required to have redress for harassment. Currently, it has one for professor/student sexual harassment, but not one for professors who are verbally abusive or single out students in class. "It doesn’t happen often, but it happens," Andrews said.

Dan Wire ’01 is feels that the most important aspect of the presidency is making sure that the student body gets involved. Students, according to Wire, don’t know that small time commitment positions are available. "There are 60 spots on subcommittees, and smaller time commitments are available," Wire said.

Wire is the Kappa Delta Social Chair, the captain of the football team, as well as an active member of the track team. "I’m kind of a natural leader," Wire said.

During the football season, Wire will have four hours of practice a day, but feels that his time management skills will see him through. He also said that if elected, ASPC President Richard Park ’00 has agreed to teach him the job now, so he won’t be so busy in the fall.

Jackel and Andrews would also like to see more general student involvement on committee appointments. Ad hoc committees created by the Senate, which currently consist only of Senators, should also have students at large, according to Jackel.

Adam Rick ’02, the only sophomore running for the position, also feels that faculty review deserves special attention. He is currently on the Academic Affairs Committee, and was urged by both current Park and Jackel to run for the AAC position.

Rick decided to run for President because, "things that the Senate does should have a lasting effect." They don’t, in Rick’s mind, because Senators aren’t cohesively organized and motivated as they need to be.

Like Wire, Rick also has sports time commitments. He will be running Cross Country in the fall and Track in the spring.

Kirby Bothwick ’01 would like to reform the flex dollar system, and thinks that the college has been too lenient in renegotiating Aramark’s contract. Under the current system, students can be overcharged "if a cashier hits the zero button twice" according to Borthwick. He would like students to receive statements of flex dollar charges.

Currently Vice President in charge of External Affairs of the Democrats of the Claremont Colleges, he has been responsible for interfacing with State Democrats, and hopes to bring a polling booth to the colleges in the fall.

Campus Center Director Neil Gerard feels that the two most important aspects of the job are "the willingness to do it, combined with the time."