This year's Student Assembly elections drama continues.
With two days left in the campaigns, the Rockefeller Public Issues Forum is organizing a debate with the presidential candidates -- moderated by RPIF Intern Aly Rahim '02 and Collin O' Mara '01, who are helping with the campaigns of Jorge Miranda '01 and Alex Wilson '01 respectively.
"I'm helping him out," O'Mara said of Wilson's campaign. However, "I'm not making a lot of decisions," O'Mara said, adding Wilson is mostly responsible for running his own campaign.
At tonight's panel, the moderators will be asking the candidates five or six questions -- questions that the two moderators developed by themselves -- before giving each presidential hopeful the opportunity of asking the other candidates specific questions.
Rahim informed The Dartmouth that he and O'Mara planned to meet last night to discuss the format for tonight's debate.
However, both O'Mara and Rahim said their moderating the debate will not affect its outcome.
"These questions are relevant to the campus generally," Rahim said about the ones the moderators will be asking tonight. "Every question we ask will be posed to every candidate."
O'Mara echoed Rahim's comments.
"There is going to be no conflict of interest," O'Mara said. "We're not dictating anything. It's the candidates controlling the night."
In contrast to the Speech Night -- which is held during election season every year -- the debate format will enable more of an exchange among the candidates.
Following questions posed by the moderators, each presidential candidate will be allowed to pose two more to any of the other candidates. On being asked, each presidential hopeful will answer the question and give his rebuttal. After that, the person who posed the initial question will be allowed to counter-rebut.
"This is distinct from candidate speech night," Rahim said. "That didn't give them the opportunity to engage with each other."
At the end, depending upon the time remaining, the debate might also be opened to the floor.
Rahim said he hopes that this kind of a debate becomes an annual feature, adding that the candidates should make joint appearances more often.
All five presidential candidates have confirmed their attendance at tonight's event at Hinman Forum at 8 p.m.
