The following is the final part of a three-part series exploring this year’s Student Union Executive Board slates.
‘URANUS,’ or Undergraduate Rebellion of the Angry Ninja Unification Society, slate members want to look at grade deflation on campus, the new ResNet fee, the accessibility of the Student Union website and the Union’s financial decisions, they said last night in an interview with The Daily Free Press.
Slate members said despite their humorous name, they are serious in their desire to serve the student body and plan to tackle issues other slates have failed to address if elected.
‘I was shocked by some things that never get mentioned like grade deflation,’ said ‘URANUS’ presidential candidate Adam Eisenhut.
Executive VP candidate Brandon Johnson said one of the major goals for the slate would be to increase student involvement in addressing problems on campus through ‘focus groups.’
‘We want to get the students involved and help them form their own focus groups,’ he said. ‘If we can help lead those people to fight the battle with us rather than we fight for them we can really make change.’
Slate members said their desire to make changes to the Student Union website sprung from the difficulty they found in finding the constitution on the website.
‘I can’t find [the website] unless I use a search,’ Johnson said. ‘It seems like it is set up for those who are already involved in politics if you are just an average student, God help you, you will never get there.’
VP of Public Relations candidate Nicholas Pasquale agreed the site was inaccessibility and said he was shocked when he found no mention of the Union’s constitution on the body’s website.
‘I am personally offended that there isn’t a copy of the Student Union constitution on the website,’ he said. ‘It’s dividing the campus between those who are involved and those who aren’t.’
The ‘URANUS’ slate agreed this year’s Union e-board attempted to make many changes, but said the issues they tackled were not necessarily the student body’s top priorities.
‘Soap in the dorms is important but I would rather have a sexual discrimination clause in the anti-discrimination policy,’ Eisenhut said. ‘They are choosing their battles and I don’t agree with the battles they are choosing.’
According to Eisenhut, the group’s last-minute decision to run was based on a feeling of civic duty to the student body.
‘Letting ‘True 2′ run uncontested would be a crime against humanity,’ he said. ‘They are too close to the administration and not close to the student body.’
Despite two seats left open on their slate due to the group’s last-minute decision to run, slate members said numerous people have shown interest in positions.
Eisenhut said his slate’s name and the group’s promotional use of ninjas were used to bring attention to the slate. The group’s casual outlook and approachable appearance are things they hope to continue if elected.
‘We wouldn’t have chose [URANUS] if it didn’t stand out,’ he said. ‘It represents us as wanting to stand against the trend.’
Vice president of Academic Affairs candidate Rose Scott said her slate wants to bring about a change in Boston University’s student government in an unexpected way, citing their use of ninjas in the campaign.
‘It’s something different,’ she said. ”True 2′ is the standard thing, whereas we are completely new blood.’
Still, there is a bit of levity in their campaign.
‘BU needs more ninjas,’ Eisenhut said. ‘Who doesn’t love ninjas?’
The ‘URANUS’ slate is one of three slates running for the Union Executive Board against ‘Truant’ and ‘True 2.’ Elections will be held Apr. 1-3.