Though student group endorsements have sparked much less contention in the current ASSU election cycle than in years past, candidates are still working hard to rack them up.

The decline in prominence of endorsements began with the Students of Color Coalition, which abstained from issuing its historically powerful executive slate endorsement in this year’s election cycle. This decision comes after a marked decrease in the number of SOCC-endorsed Undergraduate senators. Ten of the 15 senators elected in 2006 were SOCC endorsed; this number dropped to six senators in last year’s election.

“I do believe that SOCC’s goals are universal, and everyone wants a diverse, tolerant campus,” said ASSU Executive candidate Priyanka Sharma ‘09, who indicated that SOCC may have opted not to endorse an executive slate because multiple candidates were equally supportive of diversity initiatives. “They probably see all the slates as competent and committed.”

SOCC’s decision not to support any executive slate may make next week’s elections more competitive and could shift the focus of the campaign to personal contact with voters, Sharma said.

“The ASSU is evolving where endorsements are part of the process, but are not the heart of the process,” Sharma said. “I see this as a welcome change.”

But SOCC’s decision to abstain from endorsing an executive slate does not mean that all student group followed the same path. Most major groups that issued endorsements last year have continued to endorse executive slates this year, and SOCC has already endorsed Senate candidates.

The Stanford Democrats decided last night to endorse ASSU Executive candidate Jonny Dorsey ‘09 and running mate Fagan Harris ‘09.

“They were the ones who articulated the best message as far as helping political groups,” said Stanford Democrats political director Ashwin Mudaliar ‘09. “They also took an untraditional approach to their campaign: even though they didn’t have as much experience, they had some great ideas about what the ASSU can do.”

Mudaliar recognized that his group’s endorsement has created divisions in the ASSU in the past.

“Some of the Democratic [endorsed] candidates definitely grouped together [in the outgoing Senate], and there were some issues there,” Mudaliar admitted.

In its first executive slate endorsement, Students for a Sustainable Stanford decided to support Dorsey-Harris for its commitment to sustainability.

“We felt that all the slates definitely were concerned,” said John Murlow ‘09, a member of Students for a Sustainable Stanford. “We thought Johnny and Fagan would take it to the next level.”

Candidates were evaluated by the group on four main points — campus events, student voice, eatery compost programs and environmental knowledge. Most important in the evaluation process was a deep commitment to sustainability, especially because most Stanford students are at a minimum environmentally conscious, Murlow said.

“Johnny and Fagan really were going to include sustainability in everything that they did, and treat it as an attitude, not a single issue,” Murlow said. “We felt that for the other candidates, it wasn’t as serious.”

Dorsey-Harris was not the only slate to garner prominent endorsements. Sharma and running mate Jack Cackler ‘09 won the endorsements of the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Queer Straight Alliance and the Stanford Review. Students Promoting Ethnic and Cultural Kinship endorsed both Dorsey-Harris and ASSU Executive candidate Sagar Doshi ‘09 and running mate Phillip Hon ‘10.

In lieu of official endorsements, some organizations have pursued different methods to promote their agendas.

The Put the Student Back in Student Union group has decided to post relevant information about candidates instead of backing a particular slate.

“We are going to be listing candidates who are very much interested in renovating Old Union and making it stronger overall,” said Kevin Webb ‘09, who started the group. “We are going to ask questions of them and post them up. We are not going to endorse anyone.”

Following last year’s elections, tension sparked between senators endorsed by SOCC and those endorsed by the Stanford Review. But this year’s executive candidates are firm in saying that endorsements will not overshadow actual campaigning or harm the day-to-day workings of the ASSU by creating unnecessary partisanship.

“They [endorsements] are one piece,” Dorsey said. “They in no way replace grassroots effort, but they can help.”