“We endorse Fred in light of his experience and commitment to the Harvard black community, as evidenced by his role as Political Action Chair of the BSA for two years and his current role as BSA Vice President,” wrote BSA President Charles M. Moore ’04 in a statement released last night. “Furthermore, we feel that Fred’s platform most coincides with the mission of the BSA and our vision for a better Harvard.”

Funding and Financial Aid

Smith and Chapa say they hope a non-partisan mentality will come through in their platform.

Their platform calls for the elimination of the summer work requirement for students on financial aid, an increase in council funding for student groups and the addition of more blue-light security phones between the Quad and the Yard.

The candidates say their commitment to reforming the College’s financial aid policies is a result of their similar experiences growing up in underprivileged families.

Smith grew up in a four-room house in Athens, Ga.

Chapa says he was raised in a blue-collar neighborhood “on the bad side of town” in Arlington, Texas. The oldest of seven children, he is also the first member of his family to attend college.

The candidates do not want other students to face the difficulties they have had to overcome.

“I want to aid in the formation of programs for women and minority groups who are interested in academia,” Smith says.

Chapa says he and Smith also share a desire to support student groups that serves to bridge their ideological differences. Their platform states that they will provide maximum funding to student groups.

“There wasn’t any conflict when we came together to write our agenda,” Chapa says. “The reason we chose each other was to defend student groups.”

Smith and Chapa also say they want to improve students’ social life by expanding Crimson Cash to multiple restaurants in the Square, pursuing cable installation in the dorms, implementing 24-hour universal keycard access in the Houses and securing the Inn at Harvard for social space when the Faculty of Arts and Sciences acquires it in 2013.

Beating Goliath

The candidates’ supporters have maintained a consistent presence in front of the Science Center, brandishing yellow-and-black “Smith-Chapa” signs through snow and wind.

But at least two other tickets, those of presidential candidates David M. Darst ’04 and Chopra, have been campaigning right alongside Smith and Chapa.