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On Wednesday, Stanford Review reporters attended the open event for ASSU Senate candidates to interview them ahead of this Thursday's election. Every candidate was asked one question: “What is your biggest priority as a Senate candidate?”
While many candidates wanted to talk to us about their priorities and platforms, five of the fifteen candidates we approached for an interview refused to speak with us, and some explicitly expressed their distaste for our publication as the reason for their silence; others jeered and mocked our reporters. We find this to be in direct contradiction with the inherent purpose of student representatives, namely, responsiveness and willingness to communicate with the students they represent.
Candidates who refused to speak with the Stanford Review:
Princess Oehweiwi, Class of 2027, Biology
Ethan Alfonso, Class of 2027, Psychology & Comparative Studies of Race and Ethnicity
Nason Li, Class of 2029, Political Science and History.
Dan Kubota, Class of 2027, Earth Systems
Troy Harris, Class of 2027, Biology
A number of these candidates cited “strengthen[ing] free speech protections so that they are real, consistently applied, and never weaponized against student dissent or political organizing,” “speak[ing] honestly to everyone,” and “transparency and accessibility within student government” in their campaigns.
The candidates' inability to speak with reporters whom they believe disagree with them is antithetical to the values of “speaking to everyone,” “accountability,” and “support of free speech,” which they claim to espouse.
The Stanford Review and ASSU Senate candidates alike seek to see Stanford flourish. Only through an open dialogue on the issues that affect us all can we work together to do just that. This, however, requires candidates to speak openly with the student body they claim to represent.
Authors’ Note
All Candidates were emailed to clarify their position and willingness to speak with the Stanford Review. They were given 72 hours to respond.
