Bryan Domniguez, A&S '02 and Matt DePasquale, A&S '02

The Heights: What aspects of your platform distinguish you from the other candidates?

Dominguez: In my introduction at the debates yesterday, I mentioned that there are three aspects of our platform that I feel really distinguish us. Next year undoubtedly we’d focus on overcrowding in housing. There are advising programs that really need to be upgraded, and then there’s the big issue of the student center … We really want to make that one of the core issues in our presentations to the Board of Trustees to make sure that we get more women and minority, because they’re the ones who truly represent the students. They’re the ones in the classrooms. You don’t just learn from the materials that are presented to you, you learn from the person who presents the material.

DePasquale: There’s a gross under-representation of minority tenured faculty here. Although there is a good percentage of minority faculty, they’re not full-time. They’re part-time, and they hold other jobs. They don’t have the same advantages as the other faculty.

Dominguez: The minority faculty you see are in the Black Studies department, and most of these faculty members do not have tenure. They’re part-time, they have other jobs, and so this isn’t their main focus. We need minority and women faculty where Boston College is their main focus. They can devote all their time to giving to the students and developing the entire student body.

We also really want to emphasize Internet voting. We know it has been presented to the Tech Committee, and the Tech Committee does have it on their list of things to do… Next year, we really want to put pressure on the tech committee to show them the importance of this because the first part in incorporating students is getting the entire student body to vote and getting the officers to be elected by the entire student body. They’re supposed to be the voice of the student body, and Internet voting would do that and the percentages would skyrocket.

The Heights: You said in your closing statement at the debates that “the voice of the student body must be heard.” How do you intend to get the student body more involved and more aware of the issues affecting them and their campus?

DePasquale: Internet voting will be a great way to start integrating the student voice. That’s the first step. Our entire campaign is about integrating the student voice with UGBC.

Dominguez: That’s our thing. We’re not UGBC Cabinet, we’re not UGBC Senate ...We know that there are other students out there like us who really feel like they can’t address UGBC, like they can’t go up to UGBC for help … Next year, we’d be all about getting out there and talking with students one on one, seeing what the actual students want and what kind of actions they want taken.

DePasquale: Also, there’s our student center suggestion, for having a wing delegated for students who want to volunteer. It’d be a centralized group where anyone who wants to do Appalachia or any kind of volunteer work can go, interact and get the direction they need.

Dominguez: We just really want to make a lot more programs accessible to students and make it easier for students who maybe aren’t as outgoing as other students …We need to make things a little more accessible for them, make it easier to get involved and have your voice heard.

The Heights: What is your stance on sexual orientation in the notice of non-discrimination, and what do you propose to do about it?

Dominguez: Alvin and Rochelle actually just got done their presentations to the Board of Trustees about sexual orientation. They really want to focus on that getting into the clause. So, we’re really hoping that the Board of Trustees and the faculty listen to them. We’re actually going to talk to them to see how they feel the administration reacted to their presentation. Hopefully we’ll see things change, if the presentation went well enough.

Dominguez: We were both [at Friday’s rally.] If the feedback we get from Alvin and Rochelle is that it’s going to be the same thing – just kind of over the administration’s heads and we’re not going to do anything about it – then it’s going to be something that Matt and I definitely address right away. It will be one of our priorities, and we’ll definitely make it one of our Board of Trustees presentations. It’s something that’s so important because it’s not only words, it shows the real spirit of the school.

The Heights: Many students are dissatisfied with their dorms due to construction and overcrowding. Your platform mentions compensation for these students. How exactly do you plan to help these inconvenienced students?

DePasquale: Housing has always been addressed to the Board of Trustees … Adding a fourth floor to these dorms is a good thing, but it’s only a first step. We should definitely compensate students that are in triples and look to build another dorm, but it’s a huge task.

Dominguez: Putting another floor on these buildings is a great idea, but students are very inconvenienced. There’s talk that they’re woken up at six or seven in the morning by construction workers … No matter what, it affects your studies if you’re not getting the right amount of sleep … Right now the building does have to go on because we need more housing. We need these fourth floors, but students definitely should receive compensation or a rebate on the price they’re paying for housing.

The Heights: Why did you decide to run for President and Vice President of UGBC?

DePasquale: I feel that personally we have always been affected by UGBC. Freshman year we were actually roommates in a triple, and ever since we’ve been sort of passive observers. We see what’s going on, and we, like ninety-nine percent of the other students, haven’t been involved with UGBC. We’re looking to change that and to start integrating the voice of the student body with the administration. I think we’re pretty qualified. We’re good leaders, and we’re ready to speak for the people.