2014 President Eli Coon Brings "Inclusiveness" to ASCMC

After five rounds of voting, Eli Coon was declared the winner of the Freshmen Class President Election. Coon, from Portland, OR, will serve on ASCMC's executive board as the Class of 2014 representative and will be responsible for appropriating the Class of 2014 budget for the upcoming year. Coon beat out Max Zipperman in the 5th round of instant runoff voting. After a furious campaign weekend, the candidates gave their speeches to an audience of about 150 onlookers at snack on Monday night, where the enticing smells of campaign promises matched the less than aromatic deep-fried zucchini. Five candidates gave speeches: Pieter Cornel, Caitlin Highland, Max Zipperman, Naureen Nanjee, and Eli Coon.

Most speeches touched on the basic responsibilities of freshman class president. Plans for printing class t-shirts, organizing 2014-only events, and incorporating the ideas of fellow classmates were present in the platforms of almost every candidate.

Eli Coon, the eventual winner, spoke last, explaining how he arrived at CMC after deciding against the other Claremont Colleges. Coon joked how he could not go to Scripps because he “didn’t want to hook up with CMC guys” or Pitzer because he “didn’t drive a Prius.” He reiterated his desire to include the ideas of all the freshmen, specifically the other freshmen candidates whom he believed could all contribute to a great year for the Class of 2014. In an inclusive spirit, Coon advocated for a Friday freshman snack, which he believed could allow for freshmen to get better acquainted with each other.

Asked what he thought helped him win, Coon responded “I think... picking up the same ideas that the freshman class already believes. In my speech and on the Forum I talked about inclusiveness, not only because I think it's how a good place should be, but because that's how we act [already] at CMC.”

Coon says his next step forward will involve mainly listening. He noted, “As much as I feel at home here, I'm just a freshman and I don't know half as much as I think I do about being part of ASCMC. I'm going to listen to people who have done this before, hopefully try to learn from their mistakes, repeat their achievements, and move forward to have a phenomenal freshman year.”