Student Union candidate slates revealed

Candidates for positions in Boston University’s Student Union are set to begin their push toward next week’s Monday election, Student Elections Commission officials said.

Two slates, calling themselves BUnited and Renew BU, are scheduled to face off this week in a debate and town hall in preparation for the start of voting on April 19, said SEC vice-chairwoman Rachel Katz in an email.

“We had a few bumps in the road to get to this point, but we feel we are prepared for a strong election cycle,” Katz, a School of Management senior, said.

After a policy confusion at the end of March in which the SEC voted to extend the registration deadline then retracted the decision, citing their election guidelines, there was a risk of only one slate &- Renew BU &- running for Union seats. The SEC then voted to allow the other slate, BUnited, more time to register since they had begun the process but not finished it in time, believing the deadline had been extended.

BUnited candidates include SMG president and junior Taylor Riley for president, College of Arts and Sciences sophomore James Boggie for vice president, CAS junior Jenna Kreyche for secretary and SMG sophomore and Union SMG representative Joseph Nangle for treasurer.

The slate came together as the deadline for entering approached and they feared the election would be uncontested, with Renew BU running unopposed, Union City Affairs Director Boggie said.

Renew BU’s candidate for president, Union Off-campus Affairs Director Arthur Emma, said he is happy about the competition. But, he said, the fact that his slate has been planning a run for the past four months gives them an advantage over BUnited.

“They barely got their stuff in on time,” Emma, a CAS junior, said. “We’ve been planning this for four months straight. We spent hours and hours and hours.”

Renew BU’s slate includes Emma and two Union outsiders, CAS junior Daniel Ellis for vice president and SMG junior Benjamin Noble for treasurer.

Ellis said he was frustrated with the deadline issues after being under the impression that the election would be uncontested, but understands and appreciates the end result.

“We were upset. We got the explanation and I found it, I think it was a good reason,” Ellis said. “I want the best person to be in office. I want a good competition.”

The slate does not have a secretary because a student dropped out from their slate days before the registration deadline, Ellis said.

“We’re going to look for another person to appoint, but right now it’s just going to be very difficult to get a write-in,” he said.

Katz confirmed in an email that candidates are voted to positions individually, allowing for winners to be voted from a mix of slates. Kreyche’s only competition could be potential write-in candidates.

BUnited’s Boggie criticized Renew BU for what he said is a too-combative approach to dealing with the administration, citing their continued dissatisfaction with print quota after Union said it gained some ground.

“They think the only way you can get something done within the administration is to start a protest, start a riot,” he said. “That has not worked historically.”

Riley said she too thinks the print quota situation could be further resolved, but the goal should be “compromising without sacrificing the wants and needs of the students.”

But Emma said Renew BU’s goals are also transparency and they are willing to work with the administration.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “We’re not going to be combative at all. We want to make sure that the student’s voice is heard and we’re not going to be wishy-washy.”

BUnited goals include making small but steady steps toward total administration transparency and bringing Union to the students by going to them, Boggie said.

“We know that you can’t change everything in a day,” he said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’re working for this in the long haul.”

“I’m sick of hearing people say “I’m paying $50,000 a year’ and having all these complaints,” candidate for treasurer Nangle said. “My real goal is making students are as happy as possible with the way their money is being spent.”

Renew BU hopes to improve the BU Shuttle and extend it off-campus and increase transparency with students by posting regular updates on a website and meeting with them at the George Sherman Union, candidates of the slate said.

Both sides encouraged student participation.

“I’m looking forward to a great campaign week and I’m sure that the best slate would win, and I wish the other slate good luck,” Renew BU’s Noble said. “And I encourage everyone to go out and vote for the people who would do the best job.”

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Renew BU’s Arthur Emma is in SMG. He is in fact in CAS. It was also incorrectly stated in the final quote that Benjamin Noble is with the BUnited slate. He is with the Renew BU slate.