Racial-minority leaders on campus said they are not concerned that one of the candidates running for Senator for Racial Minority Students isn't from a minority background.Jonathan Kane '10, currently the Senator for North Quad, applied to Brandeis as a caucasian student, but recently changed his status to American-Indian Alaskan Native in order to join the Student Union race for Senator for Racial Minority Students. Kane is ethnically Caucasian, and only racial-minority students are eligible to run for that position.

Kane said he intended to declare himself as "other" with the University Registrar's office, but an error was made, and he intends to change his status accordingly.

To alter their status, students need to fill out paperwork with the Registrar's office changing the biodemographic information on their Sage profiles. The process does not require students to provide evidence of their racial background.

Kane said he is qualified for this position despite his non-minority background and explained that his motivation for running stems from a desire to better connect students with cultural events.

"To judge a candidate based on the color of their skin is wrong; I think I am perfectly capable and qualified to express the views of those I would represent," Kane said. "I want to bring people into cultural events; I don't think people feel connected to them, and I want them to feel welcome."

Racial-minority leaders on campus said they aren't worried whether a white student could represent their interests well.

"If [Kane] is willing to stand up and represent racial minorities, I don't think it should matter whether he is a racial minority or not," Intercultural Center programming co-chair Prerna Bhargava '07 said.

Bhargava added that Kane's decision to run falls in line with the Intercultural Center's goal of eliminating the divide between minority and nonminority students, but she maintained that the position of Senator for Racial Minorities should still exist.

"There shouldn't be this distinction of racial minorities; everyone should be represented equally for what they bring to the table and not for what their background is," she said. "Still, it's good to have a position like this for people who feel they aren't fully supported to say, 'I have someone to go to who can uphold my views.'"

Jamele Adams, the assistant dean of student life in support of diversity, agreed that racial factors should not prevent Kane from pursuing this role.

"If [Kane] is serious and passionate about [representing minorities], then of course [he should be able to run]," Adams said. "Your identity should only matter to who you want it to matter to. You define who you are, and [Kane] is saying, 'This is who I am.' The entire University should recognize that."

Adams did suggest, however, that this kind of debate could be avoided altogether if the position's title was changed to something less racially oriented.

"The position should be called something like 'Senator for Cultural Equity', where it wouldn't matter what your culture was as long as you were committed to representing equity of cultural existence on campus," Adams said. "Doing this job means staying in contact with different cultural corners of our community and serving them well."

Current Senator for Racial Minority Students Christina Khemraj '09 said although she's not endorsing any of the candidates in this race, she views Kane as a serious candidate.

"I don't think that [Kane] is making a mockery of the position," Khemraj said. "I don't know how much justice [Kane] will bring to [the position], but I know that he is really passionate about diversity."

Arnel Blake Batoon '10, one of Kane's opponents in the race, declined to comment, and James Lee '10, Kane's other opponent, could not be reached by press time.

The primary round of Student Union elections takes place today and ends at midnight.