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The Fourth Wall
MICHAEL GARRETT
Questions of experi-
ence, student outreach, and
the ideas of a commuter
meal plan and a new drug/
alcohol policy were the sub-
ject of much heated discus-
sion in the Student Govern-
ment Association (SGA)
Presidential Debate between
candidates John Shaffer, a
current member of the stu-
ander, who has since won
the election.
The debates, the first
ever event of its type at
Mont Alto, was held in the
Heritage Room of the Mill-
stream Café on March 23,
where a surprisingly high
student turnout nearly filled
the chairs in the audience.
Current SGA President Coty
Covert — a personal friend to
both candidates who firmly
maintained a position of
neutrality throughout the
campaign -gave the opening
and closing remarks and
professor of philosophy Dr.
John Bardi officiated.
“I have a prophecy
as to who will win this elec-
tion,” Bardi said. “Our cam-
pus! These are two excellent
candidates.”
Both Shaffer and Al-
exander began the debates
with statements focusing on
the power of students and
the need for greater student
outreach from SGA; these
ideas became recurring
themes throughout the
course of the debate.
“It is we the students
and the power we hold that
will affect positive change
on campus,” said Shaffer.
He said the SGA had failed
to reach out to students this
past year and pledged to at-
tend meetings for every club
and organization on campus
if elected president.
Alexander interject-
ed, pointing out that in the
course of his campaign he
had already met with many
of the student organizations
on campus and had worked
their concerns into his cam-
paign platform, adding that
he “doesn’t see a difference”
between SGA completely
failing and only failing to
reach out to students.
Throughout the de-
bate, Shaffer placed empha-
sis on his previous experi-
ence in Student Government
as a senator and an active
member in the Council of
Commonwealth Student
Governments (CCSQ@),
where he, with the help of
President Covert, helped
draft legislation “that was
sitting on the President of
the entire University’s desk
the very next day.”
President-elect Alex-
ander criticized Shaffer for
not making his actions in
SGA and CCSG more open
to the public, claiming that
many students are unaware
of the actions and legislation
Shaffer was a part of.
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“We can’t have
big goals, big dreams,
and big things we
want to accomplish if
students are not active-
ly aware of what’s go- [#8
ing on in their govern-
ment,” said Aexander.
Alexander also
commented that he
and Shaffer had
“different -views of
experience”, explain- Ji
ing that while he had
not been in SGA be-
fore, he successfully
completed endeavors
on behalf of students, in-
cluding leading a successful
petition for more multi-
cultural classes, without the
benefit of an elected posi-
tion.
Another major issue
was the concept of a com-
muter meal plan. Alexander
proposed that commuters
pay a base fee of $400, and
any deposits into a plan af-
terwards would be used in
conjunction with the same
65% discount resident stu-
dents receive.
Shaffer agreed, add-
ing that “if need be, I would
organize a boycott of the
Mill.” In response to a
question from a concerned
student in the audience,
Shaffer said that he would
be willing to use SGA mon-
ey to feed students in the
event of such a boycott.
“For the first time,”
Alexander said,
seems almost like a miracle,
John and I almost 100%
agree on something,” which
prompted laughter from the
crowd.
; The candidates both
also agreed on the need for
transparency in Student
outspoken supporter of.
Shaffer pledged to continue
Covert’s open-door policy
and publish a newsletter
containing the actions the
SGA would take, while Al-
exander said that “face-to-
face contact” with students
would be more effective
than the proposed newsletter
in educating students on
their government’s actions.
When asked what he
would do in an ideal world
in his role as SGA president,
Shaffer answered without
hesitation. “I’d eliminate the
Drug and Alcohol policy,”
he said, explaining that he
felt that students should not
be punished so harshly for
alcohol offenses.
A student in the au-
dience expressed his con-
cern that eliminating the pol-
icy seemed like a safety is-
sue, adding “the administra-
tion seems like they’re more
interested in liability than
student well-being.”
Alexander said he
felt that completely elimi-
nating the Drug and Alcohol
policy was not the correct
response, though he clarified
that he is “not all for a dry
campus”. What the Univer-
sity needs is “a non-coercive
Drug and Alcohol policy
that isn’t overbearing,” he
said.
Alexander also add-
ed he would support a Uni-
versity ‘Amnesty Policy’ in
which students could receive
help if in danger after con-
suming alcohol without fear
of disciplinary repercus-
sions. Shaffer had previous-
ly supported similar legisla-
tion for an amnesty policy in
his role as an SGA senator.
“Both these gentle-
‘men today,” said President
Covert. in his closing re-
marks, “and in my experi-
ences with them, have ech-
oed that their ability to ad-
vocate on behalf of students
is almost unsurpassed on
this campus, even by my-
self.”
The end results of
the debates seemed similar
to the end result of the elec-
tion itself. Both candidates
generated favor with the
crowd, but Alexander ulti-
mately won, if only by a
small margin.
———cE