DSG residential life and dining candidates

18 Sep 2011, Posted by Jack Mercola in News, 0 Comments

Reilly Gorman/The Chronicle

The eleven candidates for residential life and dining branch of the DSG senate are Zoe Bulger, Andrew Franklin, Momin Ghaffar, Matt Grossman, Amanda Ho, Emily Kuo, Etka Kurucan, Bernadette Leblond, Meaghan Li, Phoebe Long and Margaret Perry. The voting process will take place on Monday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. via a link that will be sent to each students’ Duke email account. The Chronicle’s Jack Mercola spoke with nine candidates about their campaigns. Li and Perry failed to respond.

The Chronicle: What is your platform?

Zoe Bulger: I think that West Campus would benefit from having a more all-you-can-eat, sit-down dining option—there is already such a friendly community vibe at Duke…. On the residential side of things… where I would see focusing my energy is on the new housing system beginning in Fall 2012. I love how Duke allows graduating classes to live together in cohesive units.

Andrew Franklin: It’s important that there are vegetarian options…. The meal plan deserves serious attention and reform. I think a meal should equal a meal—when students skip breakfast they should be allowed a full lunch as compensation, not just a $4 credit…. And I want to ensure that [unaffiliated] students are comfortable in the places that they’re assigned. I want to makes sure that there are adequate procedures in place so that the houses form strong communities and so that those smaller communities interact with each other.

Momin Ghaffar: Maximizing dining area space with a Harry Potter-style long table seating configuration would be one of my pushes. Facilitating traffic in the serving area is another…. We also most definitely need more trash cans/recycle bins around. They seem to never be there when I need them! I’d also like to, with the help of individual House Councils, set up sports watch parties.

Matt Grossman: For residential life, I want to organize as many events as possible, be they by house, or quad, or the whole campus. I want to take advantage of every opportunity to involve everyone in having fun. For dining, I am very concerned about our meal plans and the limited choices in the Marketplace. I have done research about other food options including other restaurants to bring to campus, and I would like to pursue those to ensure that everyone is able to eat what they want when they want it.

Amanda Ho: The main goal is to make the meal swipes more interchangeable. I would like to change [the swipe system] so a breakfast swipe can be used for a dinner/brunch swipe as well. A meal is a meal!

Emily Kuo: I think having some sort of list or easy manual [of Marketplace rules] would be really beneficial in getting our money’s worth…. I think we need to fix the dish washing system so that we can return to a more environmentally friendly procedure. The next things we need are more options—vegetarian options and total options as well…. I think it’s important to get student input [for the housing model]. We need to get what we really want, not just what the faculty thinks is best for us. The last thing is community.

Etka Kurucan: Every freshman that I have met thus far has complained about the same issue about the Marketplace: that we don’t have a flexible dining plan…. This issue will be my main focus if elected for Senator. Furthermore, we definitely need more variety in the Marketplace, especially for vegetarians or those on a gluten-free diet…. Moreover, I will actively work with the house councils of each dorm to organize more events that will foster stronger communities within each dorm and the whole class alike.

Bernadette Leblond: I have solutions to the problems that we all have. The issues that we all have are the food plan, which is not flexible enough,  the lack of input from students to get more diverse types of foods, the fact that we have to wait in and really long lines to get in at peak hours. There’s also no recycling in the marketplace. They don’t have events to unite freshman students to build the Duke spirit that we want are already a part of.

Phoebe Long: I think that the meal swipe system we have now is flawed, and if elected I would work on improving it. I know that the Duke housing model is changing a lot next year, and I’d like to be involved in making it the best it possibly can be. Also, I would work on putting more trash cans around campus.

TC: What do you want the Duke student body to know about you?

ZB: If I could eat only one food for the rest of my life, it would be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Whole wheat bread. 

AF: I’m related to Benjamin Franklin; governing is in my blood. I spent a year working in the House of Representatives and some time in a Senate office, so no one knows demagoguery and gridlock like I do.

MG: I’m from Texas. We do everything big. I want to continue that here at Duke. And yes, I’m a huge Dallas Mavericks fan.

MG: I love to travel. I’ve been all over the country and all over the world. My favorite place has been Switzerland, although nothing can compare to swimming in the Great Barrier Reef. I also am a history buff and I love old movies.

AH: I’m a really passionate about things I care about—especially food!… I see a need for reform and since housing and dining are so pertinent to us- the student body—I will do everything in my power to make positive changes.

EK: I’m not afraid to do outrageous stunts in order to grab people’s attention. I dressed up in a whoopee cushion for a month in order to campaign. I laundered it, obviously. I think it’s really important to keep school fun while also maintaining a good community to live in. I want to keep the environment fun and friendly. People like to smile.

EK: Our school actually lacked a student government because it was a relatively new high school…. Students did not have a voice in our school and lacked school spirit. I proposed to initiate a Student Government to the principal and got approval.

BL: I’m French.French people know food. Keep it simple keep it good…. I want for there to be a space where students and give their opinions and say that they want a certain food or a certain event because this is our Duke experience we’re talking about and we students are the ones to decide.

PL: In high school I was president of the National Honor Society and the judiciary board. I’m a very enthusiastic person, and because of that I take an active role in whatever I’m involved in. I’m really approachable and therefore would listen well to the different voices of the freshman class.

TC: Why do you want this position?

ZB: Not because I’m passionate about politics, but because I’m passionate about the undergraduate experience.

AF: Now that we’re here—Duke—the name means more. It’s our home. I’m running because I care about how Duke students define Duke and what it means to them.

MG: If elected, I’ll see to it that residential life and dining improves tremendously and becomes a sense of pride… like our awesome Blue Devil sports teams. 

MG: I was born and raised a Duke fan and spent a lot of time on campus. I love everything from the history, to the buildings, to the people. I want to share my significant my significant past experiences in student government with my new Duke family and help make sure that these are the best four years of our lives.

AH: Housing and dining truly affect our daily life. I want to be part of the process that helps improve our lives here at Duke. There is always room for change, and I would like to be a part of that.

EK: The administration is trying to enact some very significant changes, so I think that I could be the voice to have this conversation with the first-years and the rest of the senate, as well as the faculty.

EK: I want this position because I’m passionate about representing my class. My platform is not quixotic; on the contrary, it is very practical. Furthermore, it is supported by a majority of the freshman class.

BL: I’m frustrated with the fact that we can’t seem to change things because there is no student yet in this position…. I’m people person. I can be in a lot of different groups and get the variety of what Duke wants…. How you eat and how you sleep is the place to start.

PL: I love Duke so I want to a part of anything that can make the school a little bit better. I love being involved in the community and I think that DSG is a great way to do that.

DSG academic affairs senate candidates

18 Sep 2011, Posted by Andrew Luo in News, 1 Comments

Special to The Chronicle

There are nine candidates for the DSG position Senator of Academic Affairs: Grant Petersen, Nikolai Doytchinov, Tiffany Lieu, Raymond Liu, Nika Duan, Leighanne Oh, Max Lipscomb, Anjali Sawh, and Josh Izzard. The campaigning period started on Monday September 12th and the official election will be held on Monday September 19th online. Candidates Nika Duan and Leighanne Oh were unavailable for interview.

The Chronicle: First off, where are you from? What previous experiences (if applicable) do you have with student government or other related roles?

Nikolai Doytchinov: I am from the Bancroft School in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I served in student government for five years—including terms as Secretary and Treasurer—and rewrote the SG constitution.

Josh Izzard: I’m from Dallas, Texas, and my previous experience with student leadership was on a Junior Board of Governors for my local community club.

Max Lipscomb: I was born in raised in Palo Alto, where I did direct social media campaigns for Meg Whitman’s 2010 Gubernatorial bid, political science research at Stanford, and worked at a start-up funded by the same venture capital firm as Facebook.

Tiffany Lieu: I am from Seattle, Washington, and I was part of student government for four years. I also had the privilege to serve as the treasurer and President of my high school SG. As President, I instituted fundraising and alumni connection programs.

Raymond Liu: I’m from San Jose, CA, where I was the president of the largest and highest-ranked high school Speech and Debate team in the nation.

Grant Petersen: I am from Littleton, Colorado and I served as four year class president at my high school on student government as well as serving on numerous district and administrative councils.

Anjali Sawh: I was originally born in Kingston, Jamaica, but the town I now hail from is Edmond, Oklahoma. In high school, I was the Secretary of Service for my school’s National Honor Society chapter, the president of my Girl Scout troop.

TC: What platform are you running on and what ideas do you have if elected?

ND: Some of the changes I want to make include convincing professors to post to syllabi, getting the drop period extended so that students can get some grades back before deciding to drop the class, and making departments and professors post their policies on grading online. Lastly, I also want to fix the current DSG website so that it can be user-friendly and up-to-date and join with other Senators to fight for a more flexible meal plan.

JI: I believe in openness with an emphasis on strengthening student and administration communication. For example, I want to innovate and improve the curriculum and implement Academic Advising a bit sooner than what it is currently. I am also a Pratt student who plans to take courses in Trinity. This way, I will better understand the academia of both schools.

ML: As a senator I’m hoping to create a new class review system so that students can get very realistic feedback from their peers. I also want to end the few remaining block exams which are still distributed on campus and eventually return tailgate in some form of its former glory.

TL: If elected, I want to serve as a liaison between students and administration to increase faculty-student interactions (especially for freshmen), improve the academic advising system, and work on ACES to make it more streamline and user-friendly.

RL: There are several ideas I want to implement. First, I want to increase guidance and host activities for students, particularly for people on the fence between Trinity and Pratt. Also, I want to work with university administrators and staff to host activities to help students discover their own passions and provide insight to courses through multimedia. This way, professors can share their passions and students can get a better idea of the course and individual professor’s teaching styles. Lastly, I want to improve course/instructor evaluation systems and make a cohesive website from it.

GP: I want to enhance programs such as designing-your-own-major and work closely with deans and advisors to ensure that Duke is really engaging in the best system for registering for classes, creating classes, and achieving graduation requirements.

AS: Well, I hope to get more students involved in working with the administration by allowing the administration to be more accessible. Also, I want to change some of the requirements (quantitative sciences for humanities majors is just not fair) so that it caters more to the interests of students. Lastly, I want to create a policy that requires all work-study jobs to advertise available positions on DukeList.

TC: What is something special that you can bring to the table if elected to Senate?

ND: I have developed very strong negotiation skills through high school debate and student government. I want to use these to fight for change that matters to all students and for a more open government. This combination of insider skills and outsider mentality makes me unique.

JI: I would say that the amount I am involved in with regards to Pratt, Trinity, and athletics all adds to my “X-factor”. This range of involvement lets me see all sides of the student body at Duke, and I think it will prove helpful when trying to make the biggest impact I can.

ML: From what I’ve seen working in environments with adults, trying to get your way as a younger representative is mainly about having the persistence and excitement about an idea to see it through to its actualization. I’ve got that drive, persistence and excitement, and I intend to use it to lobby and bring my ideas into reality.

TL: I have a lot of experience not only in matters pertaining specifically to student government, but also in listening to people and acting upon their requests. I am a diligent, dedicated and thorough.

RL: Personality, personable-ness and legitimate concern for education. I’ll keep it at that for now.

GP: I can promise that I will work for the students of Duke University harder than anyone else. I am a great listener and am willing to sit down with anyone to address the issues at Duke and how to correct them.

AS: I know how to work closely with administrators, what it takes to actually get things done, and what sorts of things are feasible. I will honestly push for all of my platform ideas to be implemented.

DSG student life senator candidates

18 Sep 2011, Posted by Alice Deguelle in News, 0 Comments

Sophia Palenberg/The Chronicle

On Monday, the Class of 2015 will vote on their representatives for DSG for the first time, one of which is student life senator. The student life senator is generally responsible for all student concerns outside of the classroom. The Chronicle‘s Alice Deguelle has asked each of the five candidates a few questions about their motivations, aspirations and backgrounds.

The Chronicle: Why do you want to be the student life senator?

Jamie Bergstrom: I have been interested in DSG and the concept of self-government for quite some time now. I see the role as Senator as a great opportunity to further explore that interest while making a positive impact for my peers in the area of student life.

Tre’Ellis Scott: I’m ready, energetic and I feel connected with the class—I want to grow with them.

Willa Townsend: I’m so proud of our class and to be able to represent the class would not only be an honor but also a lot of fun.

Michael Washington: Student government has always been my passion, and I have pursued it through high school and want to continue throughout college. [The] Senate seems to be the perfect way to make changes for the better in the Duke Community.

Jenny Zhao: I wanted to do Student Life because I get to be in touch [and] listen what people have to say. I had fun with youth council in high school, and I think (DSG) would be a really good experience because you get to meet upperclassmen and be in touch with your own class.

TC: What would you like to change once you are a senator?

JB: Considering that I am a freshman and have been here for only a short period of time, it is not my intention to come into DSG with an entirely different game plan. Rather, I would like to take the opportunity to get to hear out students’ concerns in the areas surrounding student life and then work on those concerns as the time comes.

TS: My main focus is working on projects with the Office of Student Activities and Facilities, while improving student accessibility and interest in Student Health and the Cultural and Religious Centers. I want the freshman class to know every opportunity available to them and how to take advantage of those opportunities.

WT: I have noticed that Duke is going through a lot of changes, especially in Student Life. I don’t want to bring about a few specific changes, but rather to guide this transition so that these changes are beneficial to the student body.

MW: Centralizing all of the student resources, improving student organization funding and club start-up support, making the financial aid process easier to understand for students (freshmen particularly), and making sure students are more aware of their rights and responsibilities.

JZ: Nothing really. My job is to represent the dorms. I’d like to organize more student activities because the people from the different (East Campus) neighborhoods don’t really get to know each other. I want to bring them together to have more fun.

The Chronicle: Why student life and not a different position?

JB: Student affairs are a critical part of every college. The role of senator for student life would allow me to represent undergraduates and voice concerns in the areas of these affairs—something that I would be more than happy to do.

TS: I looked for a way to represent my class and for a committee that affects my class…. This is where I can be the guy to take 2015 to the next level. If you want to be with the people, then what committee would be better than student life?

WT: I chose to run for student life senator because of my interests and because I can bring my expertise to this. I’m very outgoing and very connected to the student body, so I’d love to be the link between them and the administration.

MW: Being that student life affects the entirety of the student body, I think there are a lot of great things that can be done. I have so much love for the Duke student body, and I want to make sure that every student has a great experience here.

JZ: Student life is different because we get to interact with individual students. We work with each dorm and physically interact with students and house council. Student Life is not just dealing with specific issues but more listening to what everybody has to say and then working with problems.

The Chronicle: Why do you think you would be a good senator?

JB: I am a listener above anything. When formulating initiatives to solve undergraduates’ concerns, it only makes sense to hear out the student body—my goal as senator.

TS: I have had numerous leadership roles, but no one’s going to run for senate if they hadn’t had a leadership position. We all have the skills. What sets me apart is this: Skills are one thing, applying them is another. I’m here to apply my listening skills, my creative skills. I’m a team player. I’m an ensemble kind of guy.

WT: I’m connected with the student body, dedicated to our class, and determined to make this year one of our best.

MW: I have the power three combo: experience, passion, and dedication. I have most notably served as my high school President, as a member of my city’s Youth Advisor Council along with the mayor and participated in a youth student advocacy group that serves my county. Also, I have so much passion for student government and the Duke community, which will make me truly dedicated to serving the needs of the students.

JZ: I like getting to know people. I actually went around door-to-door and introduced myself. And I did youth council in high school and represented my district in a national leadership workshop…. I have the drive to be able to get things done.

The Chronicle: What would you like to tell the class of 2015?

JB: I would like to tell the Class of 2015 that they can trust in my ability to represent. Their concerns will be voiced, and a solution will be found.

TS: I’m not here to give false promises, but what I can promise that I am ready to light the fire and jumpstart our year on the right foot.

WT: The biggest thing I want them to know is that I care. I don’t do this to further my resume. I’m running for our class.

MW: As active members of this community it is your responsibility to elect someone to the student life branch of Senate who can represent your ideas and serve as your voice to the administration and DSG officials. I know I can be that person, and if we work together, we can make great things happen.

JZ: I love Duke. I really feel part of the freshmen class and would love to represent everybody as their senator.

DSG athletics, services and environment candidates

16 Sep 2011, Posted by Danielle Muoio in News, 0 Comments

Gary Sheng/The Chronicle

The seven candidates for the athletics, services and environment branch of the Senate are Emily Feng, Wendi Oppenheim, Daniel Reiff, Callie Roberts, David Robertson, Alex Schnoff and Ann Tai. The voting process will take place on Monday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. via a link that will be sent to each students’ Duke email account. The Chronicle‘s Danielle Muoio spoke with six candidates about their campaigns. Daniel Reiff declined an interview.

The Chronicle: Why are you running for this position?

Emily Feng: I want to get involved with something I know as my second home and also be in the position to make it better.

Wendi Oppenheim: I’m good at identifying complex issues when they arrive. I want to be involved and help the student body be happy. I cofounded a non-profit organization in high school…. I interned this summer with senator Frank Lautenberg in New Jersey—I worked on the environment team.

Callie Roberts: I’m interested in doing this… because I was just elected for the presidential campus stability committee so I want to work closely with DSG and collaborate with both the CSC and the senate so we can really get things done well.

David Robertson: I feel like I’m a confident leader, I have put a lot of experience into dealing with other people and I like to get involved.

Alex Schnoff: To better the community of Duke. I’m looking forward to working with older students and working with the duke community.

Anne Tai: I just want to make our lives easier, and I want to do something for Duke.

TC: What’s your platform?

EF: A lot of the ideas that I have are about taking all of these different student groups and different events going on and giving information about transportation and giving students information on how to access them.

WO: It doesn’t make sense that the [freshmen] athletes have to rush back to the Marketplace to have a free meal instead of bonding with the rest of the team. The whole meal plan in my mind [is flawed and needs to be changed].

CR: I want to implement the compost system. I’ve already talked to the Vice President of the senate and she said that was a great idea so my idea has already been improved.… I want to advertise the club and intramural teams so that they could get more fans and organize transport to their games.… I want to fundraise for padlocks [that students could use at the gym]… [and] organize self-defense and safety knowledge for each dorm.

DR: [I want to make] the bus system more reliable…[also] we have a lot of school spirit for basketball but not for other sports, and that is something I’d like to change.

AS: We need to make it easier for kids to recycle. [Also] more services where if kids want to eat and relax [that there is] an outside area for kids to do so.

AT: [I want to] use free stuff to attract students [to games] on weekdays when not many students are drawn to the games… I would [also] get the students signatures [to] find out what are the best hours for the buses to run more frequently.

TC: What’s your opinion on the new Football Gameday?

EF: I’m not a huge proponent for re-instigating Tailgate, but I think the new regulations are too strict.

WO: My opinion is that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. This is just the beginning stage of Gameday—there is still progress that needs to be made.

CR: I’m willing to work closely with the administration to find a balance with what they think is appropriate and what the students would like to change from it.

DR: I think that it’s a healthier alternative, but I think that there are still kinks that need to be worked out… it’s a better track to foster school spirit.

AS: I think there needs to be a reinstatement of Tailgate.

AT: I think that if the Duke students want the change, then I will [change it]. I will give a poll if elected and ask the people what their opinion is on that.

TC: If elected, what is one thing you would truly hope to change?

EF: The transportation system.

WO: The meal plan.

CR: The main thing that I want to get implemented is the compost system.

DR: More reliable C-1 buses.

AS: The life of campus. I think that we need more events for people to interact more. [Also] people need to get more athletically involved.

Anne Tai: [I want] to use free stuff to attract students to games on weekdays.

Bin candy back at Bella Union

16 Sep 2011, Posted by Autumn Robinson in News, 6 Comments

Minshu Deng/The Chronicle

Bella Union has wheeled out it’s popular candy bins after a short hiatus.

The scale was broken and had to be re-calibrated, said Sam Clowney, one of the owners of Bella Union.

Students who generally use the Union to lounge, study or socialize (or perhaps all of the above) agreed that the cafe is not the same without the friendly and colorful presence of the candy bar.

“Without bin candy, my life was incomplete,” said sophomore Erika Lampert. “It helps me get through hump day.”

Sophomore Emily Carey was too busy buying bin candy to comment.

“Students were definitely asking about it last week,” Clowney said. “That was a good gauge for us to figure out whether or not it would sell.”

The fact that the broken scale didn’t take long to fix did not hinder BU’s business.

“We don’t normally put out the bin candy during the first week anyway,” Clowney said. “A large percentage of juniors are studying abroad, and the sophomore class is new to West Campus and don’t know where anything is—especially the smaller vendors.”

He added that the first week only produces about 15 percent of a normal week’s business.

“It takes about 10 to 12 weeks to see a real [business] pattern [at BU]“, Clowney said.

People buy anywhere from 13 cents to 15 dollars of bin candy, he said.

“We love being here on campus and want to serve the Duke community,” he said. “Bin candy generates about 10 to 12 percent of our revenues and so we don’t want to withhold that from anybody.”

The only reason they do, he explained, is that for the first week, the bin candy just sits there and gets stale. He said he doesn’t want to let that happen because he does not want any students to have even one bad experience with Bella Union service.

Students find they can breathe again after the long wait.

“I’m super psyched because bin candy is such a great after-school snack,” said sophomore Lisa David.