In the final two ASPC elections last week, Samantha Brenner ’02 defeated Andrew Wooster ’02 for the position of North Campus Representative and Tony Forte beat out Matthew Clark for the Sophomore Class President spot on the ASPC Senate.

Both races came down to a two-candidate run-off, which took place all day October 4.

The campaign for North Campus Representative became intense at times, according to Brenner. "I was disheartened by the tone of my race, which I perceived as somewhat mean-spirited. I guess elections are necessarily adversarial, but there’s no need to directly attack....opponents," she said, apparently alluding to negative campaign tactics employed by Wooster.

Forte had no such complaints, but admitted that his victory was far from certain. "I was nervous because Matt Clark is a tough opponent," he said.

"The hardest part about running in elections at Pomona is getting your fellow students to vote. My friends and I were constantly reminding people all day to just go out [and] cast a ballot," said Forte.

Voter turnout for the run-offs was "significantly less" than the 625 to 650 students that voted in the primary election, according to elections commissioner Ryan Dugger ’04. However, only North Campus residents and Sophomores were eligible to vote in the run-offs.

Brenner plans to use her role as North Campus Representative to enact budget reform, which she claims is long overdue. "My central objective this year is to clean up ASPC budgeting practices," she said.

"I feel that [the budgeting process has] always been shrouded in a cloud of bureaucracy that has the effect of minimizing the Senate’s accountability to the student body," Brenner said. "The budget committee tends to operate with [a] sort of hubris, as though it’s their money that they are apportioning, when, in fact, it is the students’ money."

As North Campus Representative, Brenner will join ASPC President Jake Oken-Berg ’02, ASPC Vice-President Michio Brunner ’02 and South Campus Representative Hans Hassell ’05 on the influential Senate Budget Committee. The committee controls the "unallocated" portion of the annual ASPC budget and is charged with drafting the general ASPC budget for the next academic year, for ratification by the full Senate by May 1.

Forte’s plans for the year include monthly forums at which anyone can come and speak their mind, a bi-weekly Sophomore class newsletter, fundraising events for national and international relief efforts, increasing lifeguard staff and updating lighting in Pomona’s pools to allow night swimming, reversing the room painting policy and pushing to allow incense in smoking rooms.

"I am extremely excited to represent the class of 2004 this year," said Forte.

Brenner and Forte begin their yearlong terms immediately.