Nothing gets blood in Washington pumping harder than a good old-fashioned election. And, with the possible exception of a juicy, ripened scandal, nothing makes a good old-fashioned election more exciting than a good old-fashioned debate.
Eight of the 11 first year candidates running for the Georgetown University Student Association participated in the debate held in the Reiss Science Building Tuesday night. The GUSA elections are being held today.
The debate, which lasted 45 minutes, marked the half-way point of the four-day campaign run, which ended at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night.
During the debate, each candidate responded to a series of questions posed by election commission officials and audience members. The candidates stated their platforms, and addressed the issues that they felt were most important in their responses.
The debaters listed a wide array of topics of concern to them, including increasing cafeteria and GUTS bus hours of operation, improving the facilities at Yates Field House, reforming the alcohol policy and expanding dorm sanitation programs throughout the weekends.
When asked what they would do first if elected, the candidates responded with a variety of ideas. Some candidates promised to effect changes that would benefit the entire class. “I’ll organize a class trip,” said Dito Mas (CAS ‘07).
Others answered on a more personal note. “I’ll be able to sleep better at night if we get rid of mandatory reading like The Feast of the Goat,” said candidate Kate Vershov (MSB ‘07). The Feast of the Goat, by Mario Vargas Llosa was assigned to the first-years as summer reading.
Ed Duffy (SFS ‘07) announced that his priority is sanitation. Specifically, he wants the bathrooms cleaned on weekends.
The candidates were not sharply divided on many issues, but one question left the group split down the middle. When one audience member asked whether the candidates knew if they would be running for GUSA even before they arrived at Georgetown, the “yeas” and the “nays” were equally divided.
When asked if they planned to run for President of the United States someday, contenders had varied responses. One candidate said she hoped to run for Senate someday, while others echoed the response that they lived for public service.
“Right now I’m more concerned about being elected to GUSA than taking on George W. Bush,” said Mas.
