Before I say anything else, I want to give a hearty “Thank you!” to those who voted for me. I’m aware that some of you read my blog.

Last week, one of my friends and regular readers asked me if I thought my blog readership — which as of today’s stats is averaging 78 per day (today, there were 84 visitors, who read a total of 97 pages; one less than the daily average number of pages read) — would drop off after the election. I hope not. For one thing, not in a million years could anyone say this blog was a campaign tool. (It may be a lot of things. “Campaign tool,” it was not.) If you came here only because of the election, well, I just hope you’ll stay and participate in future blog entries by posting comments.

But anyway, you came here to read about the election…

…it was a good loss, if one can refer to a loss as good. For one thing, as I predicted in a previous post, the students still won; they have a terrific person as President of the Student Bar Association. And at least 69 of those students will be happy to know that she is not me.

For those who track such things, Shannon Pell was a shoo-in. I could have put “nuts and chews” into a few mailboxes and perhaps narrowed the gap by…uh…one more vote. (Where were you tonight, Richard? Whatsamatter? You didn’t like the Ferrero Rocher? I’ll have you know I spent $1.17 on that!)

Seriously, Shannon won the election with 69 votes to my 52; Chrystine Carvalho bested my running mate by 54 to 40.

There were a few interesting moments, even during the vote-counting. After a long string of pronouncements of “Pell…Pell…Pell” from the current SBA President, reading from the ballots, he suddenly said, “Horowitz.” Before I realized I’d said it, I blurted out: “Now there’s a name we don’t hear very often.” Then came a long string of “Horowitz…Horowitz…Horowitz.” Next time I’m going to ask them to shuffle the ballots!

I hope I don’t damage their reputations by saying so, but after watching the vote count and while re-growing fingernails Shannon, Chrystine, Shonda and myself shared three bottles of champagne that Shannon and I had bought — we didn’t drink it alone! We shared it with the vote counters and a couple of visiting well-wishers. I know, I know, the hoi polloi are wondering why we only served them beer — well, actually, they’re wondering why I just called them hoi polloi and thinking they’re damn glad they didn’t vote for me! (But it’s a joke, okay!)

At any rate, approximately six to eight or so of us sat around (the number varied throughout the evening) and talked about all kinds of things. For my part, I promised not to try to boost my blog ratings or ever make any money off of anything that was said, in exchange for not being dragged through Clovis attached to a rope attached to a horse with a burr under its saddle. This is a serious thing, because this next weekend is, coincidentally, Clovis Rodeo Day. So you’ll understand if I don’t give any details.

One nice thing: I wasn’t pounded into the ground; I made a respectable showing. If I knew anything about math (hey, I was a philosophy major), I’d throw out some nifty statistical facts. The best I can tell, if I did it right, is that Shannon received 1.3 votes for every 1 of mine. And I like that a lot better than saying that she kicked my *ss!

But it’s not just about votes. In the process of running for SBA President, I made some new friends. For one, Shannon Pell, my “opponent,” is a pretty neat woman. I hope to get the opportunity to work with her over the coming year. Just because I didn’t win the election doesn’t mean I can’t still see some of my goals achieved. In the three-plus hours we spent talking tonight, Shannon indicated that she, too, would like to see these things happen. (I also found out she’s a flaming liberal.)

Alright! Alright! I lied! She’s not a flaming liberal! Sheesh. Can’t a guy have a little fun? (Get that rope off my ankle!)

Still — and in spite of losing — sitting and talking with Shannon and the others, I had one of the most enjoyable nights I’ve had in 2004. And it’s only April.

In this election, though, it is difficult to argue that I am the best candidate. This year, the students of San Joaquin College of Law are fortunate to have two very good candidates for the position and both are worthy of being elected. Therefore, about the most I can claim right now is that I am a different candidate — and I can explain why I think this difference means that the voting students should privilege me with their vote.

So why should you vote for me? Should you vote for me just because I want to be SBA President? Or course not! Should you vote for me just because some of you may like me? Of course not! Should you vote for me because of my grades? Maybe that would be a factor, because it shows that I have some ability, but I still do not think this is a reason to vote for me, anymore than it would be a reason to vote for the other worthy candidate, Shannon Pell.

One reason you should vote for me is because I will serve you. How do you know this? You know because my history since coming to San Joaquin College of Law shows that I will. Since coming here, I have not missed an opportunity to volunteer to help when help was needed. If I was asked to do something, I have nearly always done it.

When the SJCL alumni needed someone to entertain children from the Marjoree Mason Center, a group that provides services to victims of Domestic Violence, I made myself available to Bee there for them. Even before that, when word went out from the Organizing Committee for Senior Law Day that volunteers from the school were needed, I volunteered. And before that, when the school told me they needed a new telephone system, I contacted a vendor I’ve used in my job as the Director of Information Systems at Valley Yellow Pages and convinced him to put together a system at special pricing so the school could obtain the phone system it has today. When Greg Fox — who has unselfishly devoted a significant amount of his time to first-year students — asked me to lead a tutorial session on Causation & Omission to Act, I did so (and would have loved to do even more).

This is the record of service I have been privileged to build because others have given me the opportunity. I both appreciate those opportunities and enjoy them.

My attitude of service is supplemented by my background. I have been involved in technology now for more than 10 years, first as part of the first two groups of people to start Internet services in the Central San Joaquin Valley: Cybergate and Valleynet Communications, which later became Protosource Network under my watch. After a few years with Valley Yellow Pages as the Network Administrator, I am currently the Director of Information Systems.

Some of the great needs of San Joaquin College of Law relate to technology. This has already been alluded to in the mention of the telephone system above. In addition, the computer lab here is aging; it is overdue for an upgrade. There is, as yet, no wireless network that could allow students to use their own laptops while working in the library. Additionally — unless it has changed since I last spoke to anyone — the current connection to the Internet for SJCL’s web server, which provides information about the college to the public and also houses LegalPAD, is a dial-up connection! If I am successful in helping the school to obtain a faster connection, it might be possible not only to enhance the SJCL website and LegalPAD — which is a huge potential, but currently little-used, resource for students — but, it might also allow websites to be created for other groups on campus, such as La Raza and Delta Theta Phi (which is currently given space and a fast DSL connection on my own personal web server at home).

This note is perhaps already too long for some people, so I’ll just briefly note that some other ways I would like to serve you are by encouraging and facilitating even more cooperative efforts amongst other student groups and working toward greater student involvement at all levels in the SBA.

What might be too much for one group to accomplish may be easier to accomplish when we work together. La Raza, for example, wants (as do I) to find a way to obtain laptops so that if someone’s laptop fails prior to or during an examination, another is already standing by for them to use. This will relieve stress and prevent students from having to switch methods in mid-exam. Perhaps by working together, La Raza and the SBA will be better able to accomplish this than either could alone.

Many of the real workers — people like Brenda Linder, Crissi Jelladian, Cynthia Van Doren and Humphrey Valero — are graduating this year. Others who have done a lot for the school — such as Sherrie Flynn and Mark King — are in their final year and will want to spend some time, at least I think they will, on preparing for their graduation and the bar. We will need “fresh blood,” so to speak, full of energy and ideas, to take up the load these people have so selflessly and ably carried.

The students of SJCL, as I said, are in a very fortunate position as Tuesday’s election approaches. Regardless of which candidates are elected to the Student Bar Association and, of course, I[m particularly (but not exclusively) talking about the position of President and Vice-President, the students win. Because I[m a different and worthy candidate, I would ask that you give me and my ticket partner, Shonda Siler, who is running for Vice-President, the privilege of serving you in the coming year.

But, if I may be slightly corny for a moment, one of the reasons I write this blog is because I have a passion that won’t rest. I’m interested in making a positive difference in the world. People may not always agree that my views and my actions lead to a positive difference, but I believe differently. And believe it or not, my mind is geared towards trying to do what I sincerely believe is good for others. That’s why, sometimes, I am exasperated and I say things like, “Look, these are your children we’re talking about — I don’t have kids.” Yet I continue pressing onward. Some people are born with extra or missing chromosomes; I seem to have extra drive and I’m missing a quit gene.

Anyway, I don’t know exactly what impact my campaigning, talking to people and building posters is going to have (either on the election or my blog), but if I’m not quite as productive in the writing department I’m sure there will be some people out there toasting my success — and a few others toasting the fact that I’m not writing as much.

Okay, okay…you’re right, Bob. (I can hear you thinking it now.) In reality this probably just means I’ll get less sleep.

At any rate, I have some very specific ideas about what I’d like to do as President of the Student Bar Association. Since I know some fellow students read this blog, I’ll post something about those in the next two to three days. (The election is next Tuesday!)

Also, as of tonight, I have a running mate. Shonda Siler, a smart and witty fellow student, who also happens to be not only as smart as I like to think I am (only she’s not potentially deceiving herself), but much better-looking, has asked to be my running mate.

It’s a winning ticket — not just for us, but for the students and school!