Women emerge as viable candidates
By LAURA ROMPF
Assistant News Editor
Editor's note: This is the second of a five-part series examining different issues in this year's student body election.
When Brooke Norton walked into an informational meeting for student body president and vice president candidates last spring, she was surprised. Of the 22 total students in attendance, she was the only female in the room.
"I never figured I'd be the only female," Norton said. "I wondered why there weren't any other females, but I was glad I was there."
Norton, along with student body president Brian O'Donoghue, won that race of 11 tickets, and since their election, the composition of Notre Dame student government has changed. Five of this year's six tickets have at least one female, and one ticket is two women.
"The stage is set for a female president," presidential candidate Demetra Smith said. "The only way Notre Dame will be ready for a female president is by experiencing and trying it. We can't let the fact that there's never been a woman president hold us back."
Since 1972, when women were first admitted into the University, a woman has never been student body president. However, this year there are several women in high student union positions. Norton said both heads of the Student Union Board (SUB) are female, as well as the senior class president and several class officers.
"There are a lot more women at meetings this year," Norton said. "I think there has been a general change in attitude."
Vice presidential candidate Nikki McCord, who is running with Ryan Becker, said she has not felt discriminated against while serving as a student senator for the past year. McCord said she hopes women's issues becomes a central focus of the Becker/Norton administration if they are elected.
"I think it will be an empowering position," McCord said. "I am very passionate about working on women's issues. I know Ryan will listen to the ideas I have, and I feel I will listen to both women and men on campus."
Vice presidential candidate Allison Henisey, who is running with Holt Zeidler, also said she has not experienced any discrimination in student government, and women should take initiative to lead.
"I think everyone at Notre Dame has their own experience," Henisey said. "I think females play a critical role and they should represented in the class room, on the athletic field and in student government."
Presidential Maureen Gottieb and vice presidential candidate Victoria Fetterman, said they hope voters will not focus on the fact they are both women, but rather that they have a strong platform and are qualified to do the job.
"A woman president is eventually going to happen, whether you are for it or against it," said Fetterman. "Because we live with women, we hear their concerns. We are simply in close proximity to the issues."
All the female candidates agree women in student government will help bring women's issues to the forefront of students' minds.
"I don't think just women should get involved in student government," McCord said. "But for females especially there are women's issues that should be addressed, and if a woman were in an authoritative position, she could help implement change both in creating better programs and publicizing programs that already exist."
Smith said she hopes to change the Women's Resource Center into an Office of Women's Affairs, where women on campus would feel comfortable to go and discuss issues of concern.
"Certainly there are issues a woman leader can bring a voice to," Smith said. "A female leader will call student attention to issues like rape on campus and what happens when a girl gets pregnant."
Norton said she understands the time commitment and responsibility of being student body president, and she also recognizes the challenge of being the first woman student body president.
"I think it will be a challenge to be the first woman student body president," Norton said. "There is more pressure to show the student body that a female could do the job. I would hope people would vote for me because of who I am and it wouldn't be about the fact I am female."
Smith agreed, saying she understand the impact the first woman president would have, but also said she thinks any student body president would face challenges.
"I think leadership is at the center of any elected position. Challenges will come up for any person who is student body president ˆ not just a woman," Smith said.
Because fifty percent of the student body at Notre Dame is women, all the female candidates said it is important for women to be involved in student government, so women's issues are brought to the forefront.
"I think we could better address women's issues because we live with 200 girls," said Gottieb. "It's not that a woman student body president will necessarily bring a distinct view point, but we feel we can represent the student body as well as anyone else."
Henisey said she hopes people vote for the Zeidler/Henisey ticket because of issues, not because of gender.
"I think voting goes both ways — people vote for a girl simply because she's a girl, and vote against a girl simply because she's a girl," Henisey said. "I think Notre Dame is ready for women in student government, but I hope it doesn't effect students' voting. I wouldn't want people to vote for a candidate simply because she is a female."
All News Stories for Tuesday, February 6, 2001
