Candidates for positions on the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Undergraduate Finance Board proposed improvements and commented on ways to strengthen both bodies' student outreach during a series of debates held last night in Wilson 302. Candidates were given three minutes to deliver opening statements. They also fielded questions from their opponents and audience members before delivering closing statements. Elections will begin April 23, and students will be able to vote on WebCT.
UCS presidentModerator Don Trella '07 first introduced the candidates for UCS president: UCS At-large Representative John Gillis '07, Arthur Kim '08 and UCS Vice President Zachary Townsend '08.
In his opening speech, Gillis said he wants to heighten student awareness of UCS and eliminate a perceived "rift" between students and the council. UCS should "come to students on their own ground," Gillis said. Regarding potential initiatives, Gillis said he hopes to make Brown more environmentally friendly and to institute universal card access for Brown IDs.
Kim, who said he wants to "bring a new voice to the table," cited several changes he would try to implement if elected, including strengthening the advising system and making it easier for students to live off campus. UCS should continue using the focused approach that made its involvement in the plus/minus debate successful, Kim said, adding that the council should avoid "over-ambition." Kim also decried mishaps like the mid-year report "scandal." Earlier this semester, the council printed an outdated, inaccurate mid-year report, wasting nearly $1,000.
Townsend argued that UCS is not disconnected from students. "We experience the same things they experience," he said. But UCS must be more proactive if it wishes to improve campus life, he said.
"We need to confront the administration - that's when we've been most successful," Townsend said, citing the council's advocacy during the plus/minus debate and the proposal to establish an academic term during winter break. "We need to sit on the ground and fight" for issues like improving residence halls and ensuring that faculty don't shirk their teaching responsibilities, he said.
UCS vice presidentVice presidential candidates Tristan Freeman '07, chair of the council's Academic and Administrative Affairs Committee, and Queer Alliance Co-President Josh Teitelbaum '08 then presented their platforms.
Freeman said UCS must continue to protect students' academic rights.
"We stopped plus/minus, but there's a lot of bad things coming up," Freeman said, citing the current Campaign for Academic Enrichment, the proceeds of which might go toward improving graduate programs if undergraduate students are not proactive.
"We shouldn't become a diet Harvard or Yale," he said. In order for UCS to act most effectively, it should become less "bureaucratic and secretive," Freeman said. Putting an end to internal elections would be a good start, he added.
Teitelbaum, a self-described "ultimate outsider," said his experience with UCS had left him feeling "frustrated." Too few students run for positions on UCS and UFB, he said, adding that he would "give a voice to students that they haven't had." Although he has never held a position on UCS before, Teitelbaum said his experience as co-president of QA and his work at the Swearer Center for Public Service have prepared him to successfully lead UCS.
UCS treasurer
Following closing statements from Freeman and Teitelbaum, the audience heard from Kevin McDonald '08 and Vernissia Tam '09, candidates for UCS treasurer, a position that also involves close interaction with UFB. McDonald said he would "make sure not a penny goes to waste" as treasurer. "Every cent we spend on tables and cookies is one less cent we can spend on things we need to get done," he said, referring to money spent on UCS meetings.
Tam said she would work to make students aware that UFB "is their resource, and not something they should be intimidated by."
UFB chair
Current UCS and UFB Representative Cash McCracken '08, who is running unopposed for UFB chair, said he hopes to create a more open and accountable UFB next year by making meeting minutes available to students. He also said he plans to create a committee of students that will serve as a watchdog for UFB, "so we can be held accountable the entire year, not just at election time," he said.
UFB vice chairAfter McCracken spoke, the audience heard from the four candidates for UFB vice chair: UFB Representative Danielle Hamilton '07, Alex Rosenthal '08, UFB Representative Phil Wood '07 and Kamilah Tisdale '07 speaking for Will Cunningham '07, who has served on both UCS and UFB and is currently studying abroad in Australia.
Tisdale said Cunningham's experience with both UCS and UFB make him a prime candidate for the position, adding that, if elected, Cunningham would work to make UFB more accessible to students. "The money we allocate is not our own, we simply disperse it," she said.
Hamilton said she has helped make UFB more accessible to students while serving as a representative on the board. She added that she hopes to extend these efforts by holding information sessions and monthly forums. Her dedication to UFB makes her the best candidate for the position, she said.
Rosenthal said he has learned how to make UFB more accessible by talking to student leaders. "I've done something about these problems," he said, adding he has thought of specific ways to solve the board's perceived communication problems, even though he has not previously served on the board.
Wood said he would increase communication as UFB vice chair by communicating directly with student group leaders and updating UFB's Web site. His experience on UFB during the past year and his former responsibilities raising funds for the Mock Trial Club have prepared him for the position, he said.
