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Doug Gonzalez / The Dartmouth Senior Staff
Doug Gonzalez / The Dartmouth Senior Staff
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.
