Candidates avoid confrontation in debate
JASON McFARLEY
News Editor
In an election debate free of debate Wednesday, the four tickets for Notre Dame student body president and vice president communicated little about their platforms, read from campaign posters and discussed issues brought to light only by the press.
The Judicial Council-sponsored event proved more an opportunity to meet the eight candidates than to hear them dispute campus issues. The council designed the annual forum with civility in mind, setting up a three-part event where candidates introduce themselves; answer questions from campus media reporters and give final statements.
"It's the way the debate has run in the past," Judicial Council Vice President of Elections John McCarthy said. He wouldn't comment on whether the non-confrontational nature of the debate stifled competition between tickets.
It certainly stifled enthusiasm of the sparse crowd of 50 students who turned out for the event. The audience, which included many people from candidates' campaign staffs, remained unengaged and seemingly unimpressed, politely applauding tickets as they rose to speak and sat down.
There were a few highlights, however.
The Nikki McCord-Nick Williams ticket continued its "student next door" strategy. A boisterous McCord introduced her platform with a hearty "Wuzzup, y'all?" The junior presidential candidate made more of a priority of plugging her participation and success in the school's figure skating club than of presenting herself as a second-term student senator.
Williams, the vice presidential candidate, drew laughs explaining why he was pursuing elected office.
"I am running because I've tailgated at every home football," the sophomore said. "I am running because I have to leave girls' dorms at midnight."
Asked by Scholastic Editor Mike Griffin about the ticket's lighthearted campaign strategy, Williams said, "It doesn't have to be completely serious. We're students. We're all going to leave here and go watch a funny movie tonight."
Brian Moscona and Keri Oxley brought a more serious tone to the event. The two explored their platform, quoting Webster's definition of the word "vision" and reading from their campaign media guide.
"The main reason that we're running is because we love Notre Dame and have this vision," said junior presidential candidate Moscona, the current student body vice president. "[Current sophomore class president] Keri and I want to work to make this place better than it was when we got here."
Observer reporter Erin LaRuffa questioned Moscona and Oxley's plan to sponsor more carnival-type events next year in light of the statements by the pair that the Office of the President should do less programming. They addressed the issue indirectly and said the office serves better as a coordinating body that facilitates other groups' programming efforts.
The Libby Bishop-Trip Foley and Scott Palko-P.J. Mercanti tickets said their platforms were based on students' wants and needs.
Juniors Palko and Mercanti have run on the slogan that "Leadership is Action, not Position." Talking about their idea to add a concert and barbecue to the football ticket distribution event each fall, vice presidential candidate Mercanti said, "We want to be the ones setting up the stage and cooking the hamburgers."
The pair waffled on questions from reporters Griffin and LaRuffa that platform goals such as air conditioning in residence halls and unused meals being converted into Flex Points were unfeasible.
"We wouldn't defeat them before we started them," said Palko, the president of Web site NDToday.com. "We believe it's possible."
Juniors Bishop and Foley explained their slogan of "More Student, Less Government" as meaning decreased overlap among current student government projects and better communication of the programs to students.
"Our ideas don't take a task force," presidential candidate Bishop said. "Some of them only take a phone call."
Running mate Foley said, "Our ideas are simple. Most can be put into place by next school year."
The debate put the tickets on public display together for the only time before Monday's primary election.
On-campus students vote in their residence halls, according to the dorms' schedules. Off-campus students vote in DeBartolo Hall, with times to be announced by the Judicial Council.
To win election Monday, a ticket must earn more than 50 percent of votes. If no ticket earns the simple majority, a run-off election will occur Feb. 14 between the two tickets that receive the most votes Monday.
If necessary, a run-off debate is scheduled for Tuesday.
All News Stories for Thursday, February 7, 2002
