The ASI campaign season has kicked off with 40 candidates and three slates hoping to make an impact before the April 29-30 elections.

Executive Vice President Luke Wood pulled out of the presidential race to instead run for Vice President of Finance.

According to presidential candidates, more surprising is Wood’s alliance with current Postbaccalaureate Director and presidential candidate Mohamed Hamada’s Vision 2003 slate.

“There has been a lot of talk between us since last semester,” Hamada said.Peter Ucovich, the current Vice President of Finance, said the partnership between Hamada and Wood was surprising.

“Mohamed has been fighting slates all semester,” Ucovich said. “Now he aligns himself with someone he has different ideas than? It’s very smart politically, but it’s not ethical.”

Hamada proposed legislation in February limiting the inclusion of candidate names of campaign materials, such as signs or flyers, to one. Ucovich voted against the resolution, though it passed narrowly.

The most visible slate on campus at this point, is Ucovich’s Unity slate. Large signs featuring the slate name and photos of the candidates were posted in the library quad right after campaigning legally began on March 31.

The third presidential hopeful is Brandon Kline, the current Chief of Staff for President Eric Guerra. Kline has put together a small slate called “The Home Team.”

“We’re here to promote the university, not ourselves,” Kline said. “We want to bring the students closer to ASI.”

The Home Team will run on a platform of improving parking, building a new arena and not allowing student fees to increase.

“Our slate is made up of non-Board members,” Home Team Business Director candidate Christopher Lange said. “They watched the fees increase.”

The race for VP of Finance will pit Wood against Unity’s Zachary Donohue, the current VP of University Affairs.

Wood has won every ASI election he has been involved with, while Donohue has not had the same luck.

Donohue has never been elected to office. All of his ASI positions were results of presidential appointments following the resignation of officers.

“I’m cool being the underdog if that’s what some may think,” Donohue said. “I’ll run on my ideas and people can decide to vote for us on what we have done and plan to do for the school.”

Wood’s younger brother, Joshua Wood is running for Donohue’s V.P. of University Affairs position on the Unity slate.

Ucovich said the younger Wood actually came to him regarding running together.

“Joshua and Luke are very different politically,” Ucovich said.

The elder Wood’s Vision 2003 slate is based on increasing club funding, increasing campus advocacy, and focusing on ASI retention, Hamada said.

“I want to double club funding,” Hamada said, referring to the Dollars for Organizations and Clubs and the Student Education and Leadership grant program ASI offers. “The amount we provide is pathetic.”

The DOC/SEL program offers grants to campus clubs and students for campus-related activities.

Hamada is also concerned with the lack of student advocacy at the university, the local government and at the Capitol.

“(ASI) need to be the ones who address student needs.”

The race for V.P. of University Affairs encompasses the most candidates, with Vision 2003 supplying two candidates — Jackie Rodriguez and current Health and Human Services Director Patrice Hill – and two other candidates — Internal Affairs committee chair Jordan Aquino and KSSU Director David Wilbur – running independent of slates.

An election debate will be held Thursday at The Hive in the University Union at 5 p.m. Debates for the executive positions of President, Executive Vice President, V.P. of Finance and V.P. of University Affairs will be held April 22 at noon at the Riverfront Center and April 28 at noon in the Library Quad.

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