Candidates for Student Assembly president and vice president spoke in further detail about their platforms in a debate last night, which ended in the resignation of presidential candidate Unai Montes-Irueste '98 on the eve of student elections.
At the end of the debate, which took place in the basement of Mid-Fayerweather residence hall, Montes-Irueste stood and told the audience of about 60 students that he had decided to withdraw from the race.
"The Student Assembly is a good way to implement your ideas but you need to be behind a leader supported by a lot of people," he said before endorsing presidential candidate Jon Heavey '97.
After the debate, Montes-Irueste told The Dartmouth that he had decided that accomplishing goals is more important than being president of the Assembly.
Along with Montes-Irueste, presidential candidates Sarah Cho '97, Heavey, Scott Rowekamp '97 and Steve Salemi '97 also participated in the debate, as did write-in candidate Carlos Osorio '99.
Vice presidential candidates Joan Ai '98, Bill Kartalopoulos '97 and Chris Swift '98 spoke at the debate as well as Ben Hill '98, who spoke on behalf of write-in candidate Meredith Epstein '97, who is on a Foreign Study Program in London this term.
All candidates gave two-minute opening speeches and were then given the opportunity to ask questions to the other candidates. The debate ended with a short closing remark from each candidate.
Presidential candidate debate
Asked by Salemi how she would promote more interaction among groups on campus, Cho replied that "If the Assembly lays the foundations or options for students, they will try them."
Cho said she is running for president because she is excited about changes that are happening on campus and wants to be part of the "bigger process."
Cho said she sees that the Assembly has the potential to be the "driving force for interaction and learning among different groups on campus."
At the request of Salemi, Heavey explained what he meant when he spoke about the preconceptions voters may have of candidates at the debate sponsored by the Green Key Honor Society last Tuesday.
He said that he was pointing out the phenomenon that students see others through filters, and it is "sad that people can't break through these barriers."
In last night's debate, Heavey asked only one question of his fellow candidates: whether they believed they could work well with him. They all replied that they did.
The audience applauded when Osorio spoke as he affirmed himself and write-in running mate Corby Kelly '99 as "legitimate candidates."
He stated his belief that the Assembly should be student services-oriented and mentioned his idea of publishing an off-campus housing guide for freshmen in the spring.
"If I lose this election, I will work my way into" the Assembly, Osorio said.
Rowekamp spoke about his plans for freshman spring rush in response to a question about the College's housing problems raised by Osorio.
"The problem is that there isn't enough on-campus housing for those who want it," he said. "A solution could be to bring back freshman spring rush."
When asked by Cho how the Assembly can ensure that the "positive energy" prevalent on campus last term does not end, Rowekamp said the Assembly "can't force people to interact, but they can figure out what is behind" the racial intolerance. He and running mate Ai both proposed a campus-wide survey to find the roots of racial intolerance on campus.
Salemi defended his campaign idea of making student life a budget priority, when Rowekamp asked him how he would achieve this goal.
Salemi said that with more research and the right pressure put on the administration, more money could be allotted for student life.
"It might mean the College cuts the grass on the Green one less time per week," he said.
Vice presidential candidate debate
Ai said she has found during the campaign period that students do not know much about the Assembly.
"That's what the Assembly is all about -- taking student input and turning it into effective student action," she said.
In the vice presidential section of the debate, Hill asked Kartalopoulos if he is a senior editor of the Dartmouth Review, an off-campus conservative weekly publication.
Kartalopoulos responded that he is and added, "Despite affiliations outside of the Assembly, I have diverse support" within the Assembly. He said he was elected to the membership and internal affairs committee, a committee which has the power to remove and appoint members of the Assembly.
Hill said the two important things to remember about Epstein are she has the experience necessary to be vice president, and she has a broad network of faculty, administration and friends and can work for everyone equally well to get the job done.
Because of time constraints, Swift declined to ask questions of his fellow candidates.
When the audience was allowed to ask questions of the candidates, Dave Evans '97, an Assembly member, asked Swift how long he has been a voting member of the Assembly.
Swift replied that although he just became a voting member this term, he has been participating in the Assembly since last Spring term when he helped run senior Jim Rich's presidential campaign.
Assembly member Scott Jacobs '99 asked all presidential candidates if they would be able to work together on the Assembly despite the apparent fighting occurring during the campaigning period.
Salemi answered that he thinks the candidates all feel comfortable with one another, and although they differ on their views on the issues and their outlook for Dartmouth, it is not personal.
Stephen Jackett '99, who attended the debate, said he is definitely voting in the election because "every individual vote can make a difference."
He said he thought Montes-Irueste showed that one person can make a difference and said he thought Montes-Irueste "potentially swayed the election."
Election
The debate last week was scheduled after moderator Carlo Corti '98 discovered that candidates had removed campaign posters of other candidates from his residence hall.
After Corti confronted all the candidates with his findings they decided to schedule a final debate to give students the opportunity to get to know the candidates' ideas based on more than just their posters.
During his question period, Rowekamp asked the presidential candidates if they had ever removed campaign posters belonging to another candidate.
All the candidates denied having removed others' posters except Montes-Irueste, who admitted that he had.
After the debate, Heavey told The Dartmouth, "I know he wasn't the only candidate to do it. But he was the only one to 'fess up, and nobody's perfect. At least he owned up to it."
Student elections for Student Assembly, class councils, Committee on Standards and Green Key will be held today and tomorrow.
Students can vote over the Internet by accessing a ballot on the World Wide Web at the address http://www. dartmouth. edu/projects/election.
