The Student Body presidential and vice presidential candidates discussed the Assembly's role in addressing budget cuts, alcohol policy and event planning at the Student Assembly debate held in front of a full audience in Carson Hall on Tuesday.
Presidential candidates Elena Falloon '11, Uthman Olagoke '11 and Eric Tanner '11 and vice presidential candidates Brandon Aiono '11 and Will Hix '12 responded to questions written by the Assembly moderators and one question written by an audience member in the second of three debates held this week.
Close analysis of alcohol-related data as well as education improvements are needed to address campus alcohol use, Falloon said.
Olagoke stated that the College's response to Hanover Police's February announcement of undercover sting operations now indefinitely on hold has been constructive, but students are largely unaware of the efforts of the Student and Presidential Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee, which was formed to evaluate and respond to the issue.
As the social chair of his fraternity, Chi Gamma Epsilon, Tanner said he is personally invested in working with the administration and Hanover officials to implement a suitable alcohol policy.
"We as a student body need to be preemptive and take proactive steps to make sure that [town officials] don't see any ugly side to our social life," Tanner said.
Falloon hopes to work with the Council on Student Organizations to allow non-Greek student groups to host parties and serve alcohol, she said.
"Right now I think that's a viable social alternative," Falloon said.
Olagoke said he hopes that the Assembly will work with student organizations to host parties in alternative social spaces, while Tanner said that the Assembly should not be concerned with scheduling and planning events.
In response to questions to each candidate about how their Greek affiliation or lack of affiliation would influence their leadership, all five candidates said that affiliation is a non-factor in their candidacy.
In response to questions about budget cuts, all three presidential candidates said the Assembly must evaluate its own budget to ensure that funds are being used efficiently.
By gradually shifting event programming to other campus organizations, outside groups can absorb some of the Assembly's "exorbitantly high" budget, Tanner said.
Falloon and Olagoke said they would facilitate discussions with students and campus organizations to inform them about how the College-wide budget reductions will affect them and to get input about how to move forward.
"Through these improved dialogues, we'll be able to be compassionate about those people who make up our Dartmouth experience, but we'll also be able to be critical about what we realize are those few things that we need to cut," Falloon said.
Tanner said that one of the issue-based committees he hopes to institute as part of his restructuring of the Assembly would address budgetary issues. Tanner explained that he would eliminate the current committee structure in favor of an issues-based committee structure, which could also address such topics as drinking, sustainability and sexual assault.
Structurally, Falloon said she would strengthen existing committees to refocus the Assembly on major campus issues. She added that she also hopes to institute "town hall" style General Assembly meetings.
Olagoke said he hopes to restructure the committees by increasing dialogue and collaboration between the Assembly and other campus groups. Doing so would change how they collectively approach issues, he said.
The two vice presidential candidates agreed that their position would primarily involve recruitment and retention of new members, although tensions were high as the candidates debated how they would fulfill their duties.
Aiono emphasized the ways in which his personality would help him recruit more Assembly members as vice president, while Hix focused on his experience in campus organizations.
A mentoring program that matched freshmen interested in the Assembly with more experienced members would make new members feel more comfortable and encourage them to remain involved, Aiono said.
Aiono also added that he would create workshops or a handbook that would help new members understand Assembly structure and terminology.
"There's a very intricate vocabulary and flow to General Assembly meetings that can seem convoluted to people who aren't as familiar with the process," he said.
Hix said that giving members more input in addressing campus-wide issues like alcohol policy and alternative social spaces would motivate them to stay engaged in the Assembly.
"Students right now don't think Student Assembly is an effective use of their time," Hix said.
The debate, sponsored by the Assembly, was moderated by Assembly members David Imamura '10, Gaelle Tribie '10 and Satoshi Harris-Koizumi '12 and was the second of three debates scheduled this week. The next debate, hosted by the Interfraternity Council, is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Wednesday at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity,
Tanner is a staff photographer for The Dartmouth.
For video coverage of the debate, see thedartmouth.com.
