Old Philomathean Halls saw new politics this Sunday.
Vice presidential candidates in the Undergraduate Assembly Gabe Delaney, a College sophomore, and Christian Cortes, a Wharton sophomore, gathered to participate in the first debate of the election cycle, moderated by The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The questions spanned the range of current issues in the UA, from the Student Activities Council moratorium and facilities costs to public disenchantment and inefficiency within the UA.
One of the major topics was the SAC moratorium. “It’s incredibly important that we get to a final resolution on SAC’s moratorium crisis,” Delaney said. “The first step is to write a resolution sponsored by every student, to make this the highest priority item for the UA.”
Cortes, on the other hand, argued for other funding sources. “If we have something like separate funds for conferences or other large events, we can alleviate SAC’s burden by having different ways to fund events. SAC is definitely a resource for students, but it shouldn’t be the only funding source,” he said.
“I have to say that the UA hasn’t made many strides or great accomplishments this year,” Cortes said, when he was asked about what he believed was the UA’s biggest accomplishment this year. Delaney took a different tack, saying, “I’m stuck between the Preferred Name Initiative … and the political advocacy guidelines.”
On the topic of UA disenchantment, Cortes applied a trickle-down model to the problem. “It really starts with the executive board. It’s a trickle-down effect, and the cohesion of the exec board is key to the cohesion of the body,” he said. “I think we could also sponsor a UA day, where students can talk to representatives directly.”
Related
3/18/13: Students are knowledgeable, disenchanted about UA
3/13/13: UA, Class Board kick off new round of campaigning
2/19/13: SAC predicts moratorium to continue on new student clubs
In closing, each candidate outlined his vision for his hopeful tenure as VP. “I think that you find a lot of intransigence and discreetness, in student government and any forms of government. Very simply, that’s not the way I see student government working,” Delaney said.
“I want to make sure that student groups come to us for projects and that the UA doesn’t step on shoes like it has in the past. I just want to make sure that you are making progress on your projects,” Cortes said in closing.
