USG debate takes personal turn

USG presidential candidate Grant Gittlin '08 addressed questions about his disciplinary record and relationship with the administration at last night's pre-election presidential forum.

The candidates — both USG veterans — staked out their priorities if elected and reviewed their service records, with both emphasizing the risks and opportunities in transitioning to the four-year college system.

In response to an audience member's question, Gittlin, the three-term Class of 2008 president, admitted that he received three violations from the Committee on Discipline and was subsequently asked to move off-campus, where he now lives.

Audience member Ruben Pope '07 asked Gittlin if he thought his history with the administration might impair his work as president of the student government.

"It's sort of suspect how someone can live off campus and expect to work with administrators," Pope said in an interview after the event. "We need to have someone with a face the administration wants to see."

But Gittlin disputed the premise that his record would affect his rapport with Nassau Hall.

"Before I decided to run, I sat down with President Tilghman and asked if she thought it would be a problem, and she said it wasn't an issue," Gittlin said in response to the question. "So I don't think it's an issue. And I have a great relationship with Dean Malkiel," he said, adding that he had lunch with her recently.

In a statement emailed to The Daily Princetonian after the event, Gittlin said, "People have every right to judge my violations, but it seems like those who should care the most — the administration of this school — are those who seem to care the least."

The sequence prompted his opponent, USG vice president Rob Biederman '08, to say that he did not want such personal matters to factor into voters' decisions.

"Please do not not vote for [Gittlin] because of that," he said. "It's not relevant."

Whig-Clio vice president and forum moderator Alec Williams '09 echoed Biederman's words, asking the audience to refrain from asking additional questions about the candidates' personal lives.

The remainder of the forum focused on policy questions, with both agreeing on the major challenges facing the next USG president, especially the four-year residential colleges.

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"This is a $500 million investment, our job is to make sure student voices are heard," Gittlin said.

Biederman said though the new colleges could be an opportunity to unite the campus, they also carried risks. "[They] could be one of the worst or one of best things at Princeton," he said. "A risk? I agree. But a bigger opportunity."

On the issue of student-group reimbursement both wanted changes to the status quo. Gittlin proposed repaying students no more than one business day after they submit receipts to the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. He said the current system of 10 days is too long and may deter students from staging events. Biederman suggested giving student groups off-campus bank accounts.

Both candidates displayed an array of proposals but the debate brought their personalities into sharper focus than their positions on issues.

Gittlin called himself an ideas man, saying "I'm bursting with [ideas], I can't sleep sometimes I'm thinking of stuff."

"Grant was especially enthusiastic, and Rob seemed more knowledgeable," said Matthew Schmitz '08, one of the forum attendees. "Those are maybe their respective strengths."

But like other audience members, Schmitz wondered if the candidates' proposals would ever come to fruition.

"I remember he promised to work for two things, one of which was free class gear, the other of which was expanding late meal to other locations on campus," Schmitz recalled of Gittlin's earlier campaigns for class president. "I don't know what he did to accomplish those goals, but I know they didn't really come to be realized."

"And so it's kind of deja vu hearing all these things again, and, I'm sure he's learned a lot and no doubt, after all his experience he'll act differently, but I want to know whether or not these things he's talking about will come to pass," Schmitz added.

U-Councilor Anna Almore '08 had similar concerns, telling the two that she wanted to hear more "concrete strategies."

"PINS was targeted to student groups, but there were severe problems with that," Almore said after Biederman outlined his plan to increase civic engagement through student groups.