UGBC hopefuls face off

Last night, the AHANA Leadership Council, the GLBT Leadership Council, and the Elections Committee presented a panel discussion entitled "Through our eyes." Contenders in the race for the presidency and vice-presidency of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), a position that brings power, influence, and $12,000 to those who hold it, answered questions concerning the manner issues of race, sexuality, and gender should be resolved within the Boston College community.

The candidates debating 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.

The first, and arguably most pressing issue discussed last night, was that of the hate crimes in recent semesters. Scanlon and Lepri were the first to speak, and they proposed both the establishment of a database of all racial incidents that occur on campus and a no-tolerance policy toward discrimination.

Castillo, commenting on the situation, affirmed the need for a clear hate-crime protocol, but said, "The resources that the protocol requires aren't available at Boston College." Castillo was unclear as to what the necessary resources to enact the protocol would be.

O'Phelan and Borg posed the need for a clear-cut plan pertaining to how the administration should react to racially motivated crimes on campus. Borg called for more student involvement, saying, "we need to let [the students] know what UGBC is doing at all times."

The second question asked the panelists to speak on the role that the Jesuit and Catholic heritage of BC should play in student life. Castillo and Sievers proposed bringing a more diverse array of speakers to BC. Sievers referenced the liberal speaker policies at schools such as Georgetown University. "BC reserves a lot of rights for the administration," said Sievers

O'Phelan and Borg stressed the need to stand by not only Catholic, but Jesuit ideals, which put great store in learning and education. "Learning must happen at all costs. Learning is the most important thing," said O'Phelan.

Wackerman and Sackrule took a more controversial stance on the issue. "Right now, the GLBT community is not in keeping with the Catholic tradition. However, BC discriminated against women, a Catholic value point that has been proven wrong. This is an issue that will be revealed to be an error," said Wackerman.

Panelists were then asked what they plan to do to make sure all students have a say in how such heated issues are handled. Scanlon suggested creating an unelected assembly in the UGBC to draft revolutions to be viewed by the administration as a way to give the student body a louder voice.

Wackerman and Sackrule called for closer relations among the UGBC, the GLC, and the ALC. "I'd like to see more AHANA and GLBT students in UGBC, which is a predominantly white, straight organization. UGBC isn't intrinsically ineffective. The organization is the problem" said Wackerman.

Other questions proposed integrating women's studies courses as part of the diversity core, and closing the rift between students with undeserved privileges and those without.

All four teams called for better conversation between students and the administration pertaining to race issues and the establishment of a non-Eurocentric history core.

Scanlon ended the panel by calling for student involvement, saying, "Join us, stand up with us. We're not just a campaign. We're a campus."