Lea Black
Graduate student, screenwriting
“I’m not thrilled with anyone running. I dislike the candidates. Meg Whitman has no government experience, and she’s ruthless, though she’s a great businesswoman. Jerry Brown made some big political mistakes in the ’80s, but he’s committed to schools … and he’s done some good things for the environment.”
Black describes herself politically as “partyless.”
Ryan Selness
Third-year, political science
“To an extent, I feel connected as a student because I have people yelling at me from all sides on Bruin Walk telling me to vote yes or no on Prop. 23. It’s like seeing Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown scream at each other through political ads. Definitely a turnoff. … The candidates haven’t done a lot to distinguish themselves. They just keep criticizing each other.”
Selness identifies himself as “socially more conservative, fiscally more moderate.”
Lily Stern
Fourth-year, psychobiology
“This is an important election because we’ve been in a transition period for the past 10 years. We’re getting out of the Bush era, and now there’s a lot of criticism of (President) Obama and the White House and government. … We need to give the White House more time ““ the Democratic approach will help more in the long run.”
Stern identifies herself as a “staunch Democrat.”
Daniela Torres
Second-year, undeclared
“I need to find out who’s more focused on school systems and who wants to cut funds. Education is the way we are supposed to empower ourselves; the government should do something to help us out and reduce tuition and give us more money. In that way, I feel this election is connected to students.”
Torres is a “moderate Democrat.”