Crimson and Cream ticket announces write-in candidacy for IUSA election

Following the 5 p.m. deadline the IU Student Association Election Commission set last week, the Crimson and Cream ticket will join Movement for IUSA as a write-in option for the 2012 election.

Minutes before the deadline, Duane Thompson Jr., a junior political science major and the presidential candidate for the ticket, turned in his ticket’s application.

“It did take a while,” Thompson said. “The ticket wasn’t finalized until two minutes before the deadline.”

Head of Election Commission Evan Farrel said he was contacted Saturday by Thompson with questions about the election application and process and received the ticket’s application via email within the last hour before applications were due.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s been pretty hectic,” Thompson said.    

Thompson’s choice to run came after he learned that only one ticket had announced its candidacy.

“It really irked me,” Thompson said. “We take the Robert F. Kennedy approach. He said, ‘There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. . .I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?’”  

Other ticket members include: junior Claire Hawkins, vice president of administration candidate; freshman Brady Bair, vice president of Congress candidate; and freshman Yuqing (Kate) Jiao, treasurer candidate.

Bair, Jiao and Leaks are members and have leadership positions in Collegiate 4-H at IU with Thompson.

“The people I have in my administration are still learning,” Thompson said.

Crimson and Cream plans to attend the make-up all-candidate meeting tonight and will be part of the debate at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Some of its initiatives include increasing IUSA’s transparency for students, bringing diverse musical acts for next year’s Little 500 week, incorporating the IU logo into more campus spaces and adding more campus seminars on race and stereotypes.

“I think with what we have planned we’ll be very effective because it’s stuff that will benefit everyone,” Leaks said.  

Though Crimson and Cream will not be a listed option on the ballot, voters will be able to write the ticket’s name in and have it be counted in the election.  

Thompson said the candidates will emphasize that they are a write-in on the ballot throughout their campaign by including that information on their ticket’s Facebook group and on posters and flyers throughout campus. They also plan to speak to classes and create a music video to spread their messages.

“They will hear about us,” Thompson said.