Freshman Class Council elections are approaching, and this year there are three slates—and one individual—vying for office.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, freshmen will log on to WebSTAC and cast their votes for a slate as a whole or for individual candidates.

Over the past week, the groups have handed out hundreds of flyers, given out mints and Hershey’s kisses, chalked the names of their slates across the sidewalks by Bear’s Den and even organized dance parties.

One of the slates, “The Fistpumpin’ Five,” includes freshmen Felipe Cuartas (president), Eli Madden (internal VP), Erich Yaeger (external VP), Nathaniel Hyman (treasurer) and Rahee Nerurkar (secretary). Cuartas, who has leadership experience as a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and vice president of the southern region of the Illinois chapter, assembled the group.

The Fistpumpin’ Five aims to feed off the freshman class’s own ideas, having students submit ideas for programming and then vote on which ones to pursue. The slate also wants to organize events similar to Service First. One particular event it is looking to implement is a trip to Skyzone, which is an indoor complex with trampoline floors and walls.

Cuartas believes that what makes the Fistpumpin’ Five unique is the members’ leadership experience.

“I feel [that] experience is something that is imperative to have when you’re going to lead a class like the Washington University class of 2014,” Cuartas said. “I think someone who’s going to be doing that needs to have the right experience behind them, and not just come in there blind.”

Cuartas’ rival, “Fresh Slate,” is made up of freshmen Varun Mehrotra (president), Alex Williams (internal VP), Connie Shao (external VP), Harry Kainen (treasurer), and Ayah Abo-basha (secretary).

All members of the Fresh Slate held leadership positions in high school; they decided to run together after meeting through the Leading Wash.U. Style Pre-Orientation program. They believe the Pre-O has given them a more realistic and comprehensive view of what their job actually entails.

Fresh Slate’s major goals include providing a weekly bus to transport students to local community service projects that would not otherwise be accessible to freshmen. They hope to fund trips to various local attractions, including the Chesterfield Sports Fusion and the City Museum, providing entertainment for those who seek an alternative to parties.

“We want to focus a decent amount of our program towards kids who don’t want to rely on Greek life to have their fun on the weekends,” Mehrotra said. “We want to be able to program for those kids and make sure that they also have a good time.”

Thirdly, the “Soul Slate,” named for its positive attitude, consists of Rafi Lowenstein (president), Harry Bolson (internal VP), Hallie Dobkin (external VP), Ari Rosenstrauch (treasurer), and Sarah Palay (secretary).

From four different residential colleges, the members’ main goal is to provide a source of eco-mindful entertainment.

“We’re all about sustainability, going green, and through that, we want to program awesome things this year on campus,” Lowenstein said.

Their plans include a dance in the DUC, a tug-of-war tournament on the swamp, various social gatherings with free food, such as a talent show, in addition to a variety of events off campus. The slate hopes to organize a trip for the entire school to go to downtown St. Louis and even a class paintball tournament. Lowenstein also plans on scheduling a weekly bus to Wal-Mart to make it easier for freshmen to buy needed items.

They believe what distinguishes their group is their joint sense of responsibility and fun.

“What makes us so special and different from the other slates is that we have a balance,” Lowenstein said. “We’re serious; we want to work hard…but at the same time, we want to have fun…we’re relaxed.”

Freshman Melanie Newell is running without a slate for the position of president of the Freshman Class Council. She hopes to act as a seamless connection between the students and the administration.

“As students here at Wash.U., one of many in our class and in the University as a whole, we don’t always necessarily have the opportunity to voice our opinions or implement our ideas,” Newell said. “As class president, I will act as the figure responsible for achieving these goals for each one of you.”

Winning councils are provided with an initial $2000 for programming and other expenditures, and they are able to petition for tens of thousands more in additional funding. Election results will be announced Wednesday evening.