Elections for ASB set for next week

Elections for Associated Student Body president will be held online Monday and Tuesday. The three candidates, junior Blandon David, sophomore Cory Dorfman and junior Reed Wendorf-French, began their campaigns Wednesday. The position heads the organization that governs Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate and Professional Student Association.

David currently serves as USG executive vice president. He has participated in USG since his freshman year and has authored three pieces of USG legislation and sponsored two pieces of legislation. David has been a member of Student Conduct Board and Tulane University Campus Programming. He was also a sponsoring chair for Crawfest.

David said he was qualified as the only candidate to attend any graduate student government meetings and propose legislation during an ASB meeting. He said he had developed a “rapport with administrators” thanks to his work with USG which would help him as ASB president.

“I hope to neutralize the rift between USG & GAPSA and increase ASB transparency,” David said.

Dorfman said he was not sure if he wanted to run for ASB president until recently.

“I asked myself, ‘What kind of legacy do I want to leave at Tulane?’” he said.

Dorfman said he had the most real-world experience of the candidates, though he has not participated in USG. He founded and is the president of the Sports Business Association, is the recruitment chair for his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu, has worked for the Gulf Restoration Network and has worked with various marketing, business and law litigation firms since high school.

“I took a hands-on, interactive, unique approach to getting involved,” rather than participating in USG, Dorfman said.

Dorfman’s main goal as ASB president is establishing the Pelican Project, a student-directed fund. He also said he wanted to evaluate Dining Services, Housing and Residential Life, community service opportunities and Athletics, meet with students and administrators to get their opinions, and move forward to progress the divisions of the university.

Wendorf-French is a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and served as student director of orientation and a student adviser to Dining Services. He said he is the only candidate with a connection to graduate and undergraduate students.

“Living in the French Quarter has opened my eyes to the needs of the medical students [including transportation, dining and housing],” he said. “Attending undergrad classes Uptown and being a member of the Greek community and a number of organizations has informed me to the needs of the undergrads.”

Wendorf-French said, as ASB president, he would address campus safety, dining options, the perception of Greek life, off-campus housing and the Code of Student Conduct.

“I truly represent the entire Tulane student body,” he said. “My personality and interests are in line with the vast majority of the Tulane student body… I’m the best candidate to convey their interests and concerns to the Tulane administration.”

Current ASB President Tim Clinton said he thinks all the candidates are qualified and foresees an exciting election. Last year’s race had seven candidates, some of whom were graduate students, whereas this year’s candidates are three undergraduates.

The transition period for the newly-elected president is long, Clinton said, and the new president will not take office until April.