Junior Jasmin Jones secured the first endorsement of the Student Body President race Thursday night after a forum hosted by the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.
The event kicked off the true start of campaign season which will feature a rigorous schedule of debates and forums to help students get to know the candidates before the Feb. 10 election.
Jones beat out fellow candidates Michael Betts Ron Bilbao" Thomas Edwards and Ashley Klein to secure the group's nomination.
""It's good to start off on a good leg"" she said after the announcement. It gives us hope for a strong campaign season.""
The Di-Phi forum is traditionally the first of the season and kicks off the public portion of campaign season" where candidates can speak openly about their platforms and goals in dorms the Pit and forums.
The group gave each candidate five minutes to introduce themselves and then had a question-and-answer session from the audience.
In addition to being an opportunity to speak on their platforms" the Di-Phi forum also gave the candidates a chance to see the competition.
""It's an opportunity to get to know each other more intimately" see what each other are all about" Betts said.
While Di-Phi decided to back Jones, candidates will have numerous other opportunities to pitch themselves to student groups.
Many organizations, including The Daily Tar Heel, the Black Student Movement, Young Democrats and even Bounce Magazine, will host their own forums in the coming weeks.
With more than two weeks left until the election, the candidates said the forum gave them a chance to get comfortable with speaking in front of groups.
I learned how to take a hard-hitting question"" Klein said, in reference to a question about her platform's economic feasibility.
All the candidates said they are planning on reaching out to students through dormstorming and being in the Pit during the next few days.
While the candidates said the forums are a good way to get their messages out, former Student Body President James Allred said the benefit of winning an endorsement is not necessarily the publicity associated with it.
With some organizations" you gain access to their listserv and you may gain access to their top members as campaign staff" he said.
He added that when he won the College Republicans and Young Democrats forums in 2006, both groups did ground work for him for the rest of his campaign.
If you get a couple people excited about your platform" and then they come and work for you that can make all the difference" he said.
But securing endorsements has never been a clear indicator of who is going to win a campaign. In 2005, Tom Jensen received more endorsements than any other candidate — including large groups like the Black Student Movement and Young Democrats — but received only a small percentage of the vote.
Student Body President J.J. Raynor said the forums were never her favorite part of campaigning.
For me"" forums were by far the most stressful part. I liked meeting people and talking one on one much better.""
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Di-Phi picks Jones
Student body president candidates Michael Betts" Ashley Klein Thomas Edwards Ron Bilbao and Jasmin Jones (left to right) listen to questions from the audience during the Di-Phi forum Tuesday evening in the Dialectic chamber. Di-Phi met afterward to vote on a candidate to endorse.
