JSU finds contested elections for key spots

By: Kaitlyn Seith

Posted: 4/8/08

The Jewish Student Union elections have always been a mild affair. Amid the loud campaigning for Student Government Association, JSU candidates have usually gone uncontested as current members try to move up in rank.

Until this year.

With two candidates running for the highest position of president, Josh Swanner, a junior government and politics and Jewish studies double major, and Melissa Waksman, a sophomore family science major, the campaigning has become more controversial and political than usual and probably will continue until elections are held April 12.

The drama began when Swanner, currently on the Student Entertainment Events review board representing JSU, said he decided to give up his dream to run for SGA president and to turn his attention to his real passion: the Jewish community on campus.

"One day I realized I really care about the Jewish community at Maryland, and I wasn't satisfied with the Jewish community at Maryland," he said. "[JSU] needs to be the intermediary, the tie to get people that aren't involved involved, a place for all Jews on campus."

In order to get Jews on campus more involved and make all the different organizations more united and centralized, Swanner wants to turn JSU into an umbrella group for the Jewish community. He would hold general body meetings each month where the heads of Jewish groups discuss issues and socialize, and also invite interested members to learn more about the groups.

While most of Swanner's opponents have remained publicly neutral, many said while they welcome his ideas they think experience in the organization is most important and JSU's mission goes beyond acting as an umbrella group.

JSU, which hosts events such as Testudo's Bar Mitzvah, the Hadag Nachash concert and the Annual Semi-Formal dance, "is a social and cultural organization," said Eric Merin, current JSU cabinet chair of Israel and candidate for vice president of programming.

"We bring entire Jewish organizations together: Greeks, freshman, secular, religious," the sophomore government and politics major said. "We celebrate the culture of Judaism instead of religion... It's not our purpose and place to serve as an umbrella organization. I think that understanding comes from serving in the organization."

Both presidential candidates have their own Facebook groups and held town hall meetings April 8, causing many to cringe at the politicization of the elections this year.

"We want more Jews involved in more Jewish organizations," said Mike Rosen, Swanner's unofficial running mate and current JSU information technology cabinet chair. "That's really our main goal."

Waksman, the current Israel cabinet chair, said she does not plan to campaign in a political way and these elections should not be political. Instead of worrying about the future, she is going to focus on the present and upcoming events.

"JSU is on the uphill route right now," Waksman said. "Everything is going strong. I hope whoever wins can maintain that."

Voting will take place April 12 from 12 to 3 p.m. at Hillel, Number 4 Frat Row and on North Campus.