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The Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) elections committee on Saturday hosted its second presidential debate, as presidential and vice presidential candidates polished their platforms and geared up for the primary election on Thursday. Candidates discussed their goals if elected, fielded questions from representatives for The Heights, The Observer, and The Patriot, and addressed questions and concerns from audience members.
The four teams running for president and vice president were Jen Castillo, A&S '08, and Daniel Sievers, A&S '08; Conor O'Phelan, A&S '08, and Brian Borg, CSOM '09; Sean Scanlon, A&S '08, and James Lepri, A&S '08; and Todd Wackerman, A&S '08, and Wes Sackrule, A&S '08.
In the first section of the debate, in which each team described its platform and vision as the UGBC president and vice president, the common theme throughout the debate was the need for improved communication within the UGBC as well between the UGBC and students.
"Students are starving for change," said Scanlon, presidential hopeful and running mate with Lepri. "We want to start a dialogue on campus and bring this change about."
Sievers and Castillo stated that after consulting hundreds of students throughout campus, they found that many complaints and problems arose from communication problems. Sievers noted the University's current speaker policy as an area of concern, arguing that the policy needs to provide a better opportunity for dialogue. Sievers and Castillo also expressed concern for the poor system the University currently has in place for room reservations, again citing poor communication as its major problem.
Wackerman and Sackrule stressed the need for improved communication among the UGBC and other student organizations and clubs. "We want UGBC to be a place for student advocates to organize and have their voices heard," said Wackerman.
O'Phelan and Borg stressed the importance of improved communication so students could be better informed. "Communication is the biggest problem on campus. Nobody knows where to go [when they have a problem], you are left hanging to dry," said O'Phelan.
After the opening statements, Patrick Fouhy, editor-in-chief for The Heights, expressed his concern with the current structure of the UGBC and asked candidates what they would do to improve its efficiency.
"It's a big organization that is filled with people who care about their school. Candidates [for appointments] have to have more than experience, they need to have passion," said Scanlon.
Castillo and Sievers noted the need for improved efficiency and the need to cut "excess."
"There are a lot of logistics that need to be changed," said Castillo. "We need to come together as an undergraduate government, especially with better communication with ALC and GLC."
Wackerman and Sackrule expressed strong concerns about the current size of the UGBC, calling it a bureaucracy and voicing the need to "cut the excess fat out of UGBC." "Changing its structure will increase its effectiveness," said Wackerman. Wackerman noted the creation of a club caucus, modeled after the AHANA caucus, as one way to rearrange the UGBC. Giving free publicity to student groups and allowing club representatives to meet with the UGBC in the caucus were the main goals for Wackerman and Sackrule.
O'Phelan and Borg, however, did not see the need to reorganize the structure of the UGBC. "There is nothing wrong with the UGBC right now. The more ideas we have, the better," said O'Phelan. "What is lacking is showing people who want to help where to go," said Borg.
Amanda Matthews, opinion editor for The Observer, asked the candidates how they planned to foster diversity, an especially volatile subject on campus recently.
Castillo and Sievers stated that further progress on the diversity of history core classes was necessary. They also suggested revising the current speaker policy and creating a standardized process for updating the student guide.
Wackerman again stressed the need for the UGBC to foster student advocates through free publicity and an atmosphere of free speech and thought.
O'Phelan and Borg explained that diversity on campus is not about race, but rather, about ideas. They noted the need to expand the history core and foster a more open atmosphere where all ideas can be heard on campus, especially in light of Jesuit ideals of open dialogue.
Scanlon and Lepri also stressed the importance of revising the speaker policy and broadening the history core. Scanlon noted that the current speaker policy went against the democratic nature of our country and noted the need for free speech on a private campus.
Adam Burskie, editor-in-chief for The Patriot, attempted to focus the candidates' platforms on student experience, asking what specifically each group was looking to do to improve student life.
Wackerman and Sackrule envisioned the club caucus as a major source of student life improvement, increasing communication and providing more events for students to attend.
O'Phelan and Borg, noting the difficult adjustment many freshmen having in their first year, unveiled their plans for a Big Brother program, similar to the current Big Sister program at BC, to offer mentoring and support for younger students.
Scanlon and Lepri advocated for the "average" BC student, expressing the importance of going back to the basics as an undergraduate government. They mentioned improved late-night transportation and a discount on the T as two of their main goals as president and vice president.
Addressing the "archaic" room reservation system installed at BC, Castillo and Sievers noted the need to update the system and install a new University calendar that would allow for better publicity for campus events.
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