As USG race opens, presidential hopefuls discuss campaign issues

The candidates for USG squared off at a forum last night in front of the Frist Campus Center display wall, focusing most of their attention on the seven-week moratorium for athletes and the need for more communication between the student body and its elected officials.

By holding the forum in a more visible location than in past years, the USG succeeded in drawing a large crowd — with about 150 students filling the area between the stairs and Cafe Vivian.

The campaign for president is a battle between the old and the new. Three of the candidates — U-Council chair Josh Anderson '04, USG vice president Sonya Mirbagheri '04 and Class of 2004 senator Pettus Randall '04 — emphasized their experience with student government, while Octavio Carrasco '04 and Cameron Koczon '04 positioned themselves as alternatives to the established USG.

Senior elections manager Michael Kimberly '03 moderated the forum in which candidates gave prepared speeches and fielded questions.

Randall emphasized the need for student input in all administrative decisions, criticizing the lack of student representation in two recent University policy changes: the athlete moratorium and the elimination of funding for service abroad.

"I want to ensure that the voice of students is heard in every decision on campus," he said.

Anderson said he wants to reposition the USG as a "critical questioner" of the University by raising difficult, substantive questions. He argued that students can "effect meaningful change on broad issues," citing as examples his initiatives on precept reform and the campus's lack of intellectualism.

Mirbagheri said her experience would allow her to extend the changes she has already made. She said she will work to keep Frist open longer, eliminate housing shortages and better address the concerns of minority groups.

Randall, Anderson and Mirbagheri all mentioned the need to reform writing seminars and reexamine fire code regulations.

Koczon repeatedly acknowledged that he had no USG experience but his leadership skills and background in ethnic studies — through his various certificates — would allow him to represent all students well. His proposals included making Pequod packets available on electronic reserves and allowing meals to carry over from week to week.

While the other candidates came dressed in more formal attire, Carrasco arrived to the cheers of "Tavo!" wearing a sports jersey with an American flag draped over his shoulders. He gave an unconventional speech that included insults to the other candidates, and concluded with a song he had written about the USG.

He added that the other candidates made empty campaign promises and were "ambitious and greedy," whereas he would listen to the average student.

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The forum only left time for four questions — the first on how the candidates would advise President Tilghman if they were to meet with her.

Mirbagheri said she would tell Tilghman to support the students, Anderson said he would tell her to "honor the undergraduate focus we profess to have," and Randall said he would ask her to give the students more involvement in administrative decision.

Koczon said because the USG president deals mainly with students, he would not know what to tell Tilghman, while Carrasco said he would just tell her, "What up?"

The four candidates for vice president spoke to a much smaller crowd. USG executive secretary Jacqui Perlman '05 emphasized her experience in working with many of the presidential candidates, while sophomore class senator Brooke Stoddard '05 said he would work to improve communication between administration and students. Derek Jun '05 and David Khalil '05 both supported making videos of lectures available online.