Here are the SA candidates we talked to.

Agriculture & Life Sciences

Ari Epstein

Ari Epstein is a committed environmentalist. He has devoted himself this last semester working with the Cornell Greens on their Kyoto Now initiative, aimed at reducing Cornell’s emissions of greenhouse gases. “I’d be very happy to be the person to introduce [Kyoto Now] to the committee.”

Epstein has had experience serving for two years on the Binghamton City School District Policy Review Committee, and has been involved with the Cornell Democrats promoting progressive concerns almost since the moment he arrived on campus. He strongly supports funding for the Student Assembly Finance Commission, to ensure that campus groups can continue to promote diversity and enrich student and community life as a whole.

With close connections to the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources & Related Sciences (MANRRS) and the International Student Programming Board (ISPB), Turn Left feels Epstein can truly represent all Cornell students.

Adam Fox

As a member of the SA Environmental Committee, Adam Fox sees a number of areas where Cornell can shape up: the non-biodegradable packaging at Trillium, for example.

Fox accordingly supports full SAFC funding for groups on campus, pointing out that Cornell has one of the lowest Activity Fees among its peer institutions.

Fox’s community connections run deep. Both the Public Service Center and the Community Partnership Board boast him as a member. Fox will fight for a living wage for all Cornell workers. Fox feels there is a need to change the system of course requirements for the Ag school so that more required courses are offered in the Ag school.

Turn Left has concluded that Adam Fox has the passion, drive, and means to forward the progressive causes our magazine promotes, and most of Cornell agrees with. 

Arts & Sciences

Josh Roth

Josh Roth has extensive experience in office. He was Publicity Director for the Cornell Democrats last year, and a member since he arrived on campus. Roth worked behind the scenes to get Hillary Clinton to come to campus in late October, for a rally that two to three thousand students attended.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, funding is one of his top priorities. Roth, like Turn Left , feels that services like CU Emergency Medical Service and the Women’s Resource Center should be funded directly by the administration, rather than having to petition the SA for funding. Among other initiatives Roth looks forward to pushing next year are online Add/Drop forms that will make schedule changes vastly more convenient. Improving the meal plan system is another concern of his. “I think it’s expensive; I think it’s wasteful.” Turn Left believes Josh Roth will be a great asset to the Student Assembly.

As an Arts rep and the executive VP of the Student Assembly, Mark Greenbaum is committed to fighting hard for bread-and-butter issues regarding the Cornell community, and will do so if he is re-elected to represent Arts & Sciences. Among the resolutions he co-authored are temporary housing — easing the notorious crowdiness in our dorms; condemnation of bias incidents on campus (and working to improve campus lighting); and English proficiency for TA’s, an issue supported by the faculty. He raps the Administration’s consideration of hiring non-union labor as penny-pinching, and fully supports living wage for Cornell employees. He will fight for student representation on committees like the one that was searching for an Engineering Dean. Turn Left has no doubt of his determination that the student voice is heard.

Mike Sellman

Current New Student representative Michael Sellman feels that one of Cornell’s major selling points is its vast array of student organizations, which give students a learning experience the classroom cannot offer. “Clubs are the lifeblood of campus,” Sellman maintains, “and funding them is the key.”

Sellman has heard the public concerns over the decision not to make Labor Day a campus holiday, and is accordingly proposing a symbolic resolution to respect Labor Day and all it stands for. He is adamantly opposed to reduction of minority representation in the SA, and will fight to keep the SA as representative as possible.

To be most effective, Sellman will seek more student input if he is elected to the SA. Sellman will bring personal issues like inadequate residence hall facilities to light in the SA. Turn Left is confident that Sellman will continue be a good voice for the College of Arts and Sciences, and Cornell as a whole.

Engineering

Thomas Leung

Thomas Leung is a co-founder of and President of Turn Left. So that there is not a conflict of interest, he resigned the post to run for the Engineering seat on the SA. We respect him for that.

We personally know Leung as an extremely effective voice for the causes he espouses. Last year, he coordinated the Students for Hillary Campaign, and oversaw the birth of our publication.

Leung believes that more computing and technology facilities should be provided for students, and current equipment upgraded to meet the needs of an increasingly technological world. He promises to work to improve racial and other relations to “unite a more diverse campus.” Most importantly, Leung is committed to be a strong voice for Engineering and the rest of Cornell.

Turn Left has full confidence in Leung’s dedication and abilities.

Jonathan Ludwig

Jonathan Ludwig is a great candidate for the Engineering seat on the Student Assembly. He is currently a member of the Engineering Policy Committee, and a member of the Student & Faculty for E.E.

So that the administration will take students more seriously, especially on such issues as environmental, union, and worker issues, Ludwig suggested that we hold big rallies to solidify student position against administrators.

Ludwig wants to stop wasteful spending and reform inefficient management. He will fight to move funding for Women’s Resource Center, which many want to shut down, to by-line to ensure secure funding. He also values hockey ticket subsidies because “showing support in Lynah is very important for the morale of the school."

He has been an outstanding and dedicated member of the Engineering school. He TAs many classes, and has listed his cell phone and will go to dorms to help students with coursework. 

Hotel Administration

Esther Tang

Upon seeing friends in crutches struggling to get to class and around the campus, Esther Tang discovered the CU Lift Service. She then worked very hard to gain the confidence of administrators and started work in advertising the service. Last year, Esther worked to convert Cornell’s vehicle fleet from propane to natural gas in a resolution. She personally knows the W.R.C. and will work to preserve its funding. She has the confidence of Dale Walters, who is in charge of facilities and uses here as a liaison to students. She is especially proud of the office hours she held at RPCC, which gradually gained the confidence (in both sense) of students.

Esther Tang is running for Hotel seat, and we wish her luck.

Human Ecology

Ben Solomon

Turn Left was immensely impressed by Ben Solomon’s conviction and experience. He believes in direct funding and better advertising of the Women’s Resource Center. He supports hockey subsidy to foster school spirit, SA funding for student groups like the Model U.N., and lower campus store prices.

Turn Left believes that buses contribute to a safer campus environment; Solomon agrees, and will fight for free TCAT rides. He believes in full autonomy for the Greek system, and that Cornell should stop making money from alcohol sales in such places. He strongly supports Kyoto Now. If elected, he will stay in touch with students through office hours and a ready ear.

Solomon has worked extensively with the Cornell Democrats on social issues and on campaigns. Even when he was attending N.C. State U., he was able to stall privatization of its workers by organizing the students.

International Labor Relations

Mike Moschella

Michael J. Moschella, president of the Cornell Democrats, led the immensely energetic Democratic organization during Campaign 2000, bringing Hillary and other candidates to Ithaca. As a student liaison to the SA, he led the Labor-Day-off campaign. He helped secure funding for WRC and hockey subsidy in the past. They will remain a high priority of his.

Moschella will work hard to for adequate student groups funding in this new biannual funding cycle. He strongly supports affirmative action and increasing minority recruitment. He has worked with Lynette Chapel to better campus climate. He will fight to enact Kyoto Now. He met leaders of all ILR clubs last year, and served as the COLA’s liaison to ILR’s student government. He will use ILR’s class listserv, as he has in the past, to keep students updated on major legislation. Turn Left wholeheartedly wishes him good luck.