Section A * Page 4
Tuesday, April 11, 2000
The University
Kansan V
How we did it
Here before you is the Kansan voter guide.
The Kansan editorial board spent many hours analyzing platforms, interviewing candidates and discussing our decisions. Kansan editor Laura Roddy and managing editors Sarah Hale and Kristi Elliot joined the board to conduct interviews Friday with each of the student body presidential and vice presidential candidates and then to discuss and vote on endorsements. Opinion editors Seth Hoffman and Nadia Mustafa abstained from the discussion and did not vote.
Unfortunately, because of the large number of individual Student Senate candidates, we were unable to endorse them individually. For that reason, we have included a detailed analysis of each coalition's platform. It is hoped that it will be helpful in making informed decisions.
Because of the wide variety of candidates and coalitions in this campaign, students have a unique opportunity this year to make their voices heard. Please do so.
radia Mustafa and Seth Hoffman,
Opinion editors
Delta Force best choice this year
Proven track record determined candidates highlight coalition
Contrary to rumors last year about the death of the three-year-old Delta Force after its defeat at the polls, the coalition not only has survived, but also stands out as the best choice for voters in this spring's Student Senate elections.
the coalition's view of Senate "outreach" is a down-to-earth,
appealing one, involving simple visibility. Burton and Mills complain that many students who are interested in being involved in Senate become disenchanted because they aren't given the opportunity or encouragement actually to work on something. They have a compelling theory that if Senate starts accomplishing more things that are of immediate interest to students, they naturally will gravitate toward involvement in Senate.
Implemented recycling program at McCollum Hall
Although they are not the traditional student politicians — a point in their favor — Ben Burton and Justin Mills, student body presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 40-candidate Delta Force, have championed a realistic campaign platform directly focused on students. The distinguishing feature of Delta Force's platform is that it does not appear to be simply an election tactic — with a modest amount of student-oriented issues such as establishing an off-campus resource center and a comprehensive recycling program on Daisy Hill, Burton and Mills are not reaching for pie in the sky. Instead, they have proven that they have their fingers on the pulse of the student body and are willing and capable of effecting real change.
In line with the traditional Delta Force vision, the candidates want to extend these changes beyond the coalition's platform. Burton and Mills, who began their campaign in January with a platform before a coalition — admirably, the horse before the cart — stress that they are willing to do things differently if the current system does not work. And, it doesn't, they say. The candidates believe that Senate is not as focused on students as it should be and that it is not working on enough issues. So, they seek to change the way in which students are represented by replacing the traditional, status quo Senate leadership with a more activism-oriented group of representatives.
Many of the candidates on the Delta Force ticket have years of experience in Senate or other student organizations, coupled with important accomplishments for which they rarely get the credit they're due. During the last few years, Delta Force members have conceptualized as well as done the legwork on a variety of student issues, such as coordinating a citywide bus system, establishing a polling site on Daisy Hill and implementing Fall Break.
Perhaps the most distinguishing factor among the five sets of candidates on the ballot this spring is the weight of each one's focus on campus-related issues and to those decided on the floor of the state legislature. Delta Force provides the best balance between the two, espousing an activist philosophy directly centered on student concerns. Burton and Mills don't intend to spend the bulk of their time in office sporting suits and ties at the capitol. They plan on being on campus, schmoozing with students instead of legislators, and working on projects of immediate interest to the student body. They believe that the Student Legislative Awareness Board legislative director should be the student body's primary representative in Topeka, not themselves. However, they also don't intend to allow student influence on state legislative issues affecting higher education to fall by the wayside.
Favorite thing about KU:
House parties
Burton and Mills serve as strong examples of candidates who have not been in Senate long, but who instead have worked hard on campus issues outside of the institution, obtaining concrete results. Burton, an Ocean Township, N.J., junior in English and Association of University Residence Halls senator during the 1998-99 academic year, directed a student-run, comprehensive recycling program at McCollum Hall, where he was a resident assistant. One of Delta Force's platform planks is to implement a similar system in every residence hall with the support of the Department of Student Housing. Mills, a Lansing junior in history and residential senator who ran with the YOU coalition last spring, is a resident assistant at McCollum. He was integral to the recent passage of Senate legislation that seeks to strengthen the University of Kansas' ethnic and racial harassment policy.
Sponsored legislation to revise KU's ethnic and racial harassment policy
Favorite thing about KU: People question status quo and speak out
One of Delta Force's platform planks involves re-envisioning SLAB, with an emphasis on the awareness part. This seems to be in order, considering the apparent ineffectiveness of traditional student lobbying attempts on issues such as lowering tuition, and considering the fact that this is an election year. Burton and Mills believe that the majority of SLAB's efforts should be to inform students about state legislative issues that affect them through a campuswide campaign aimed at registering students to vote and then motivating them to do so and to otherwise become politically
active.
One of Delta Force's platforms is fiscal responsibility, but that doesn't mean that these candidates are tight-fisted. Burton and Mills are unique in that they don't buy the idea that large capital investment is what's best for Senate's overflowing reserve account. Instead,they're in favor of spending the money on student group needs. This only exemplifies their refreshing and much-needed commitment to the fact that a lot can be done with not a lot of money.
Other Delta Force platform issues include creating an off-campus resource center for students attempting to move off campus and as an outlet for feedback from students who already live off campus, and regaining control of the Kansas Union from commercial interests through negotiations with Union officials or through the clout that Senate has because of its control of Union fees.
As cliché as it may sound, Burton and Mills are leading the force for change, a.k.a. Delta Force. Students should take heed and cast their votes accordingly.
— Nadia Mustafa for the editorial board
United Students has high hopes, misguided aims
From outward appearances, the United Students tandem of Ben Walker and Marlon Marshall seems to have what it takes to be successful as Student Senate leaders. Walker and Marshall know their issues and are polished and confident, but the personal ethics of both have been questioned. They both have had experience as student leaders. This last year, Walker served as the legislative director for the Student Legislative Awareness Board. In this position, he lobbied at the state legislature. Marshall served as chairman of the Student Executive Committee.
The platform that United Students has is a balance between campus and non campus issues. Marshall's chief aim is to create an apartment guide for students seeking off campus housing and to improve other student services. Walker's focus is to increase student financial aid.
However, as admirable as this platform and these issues appear, their platform of the Tuition Bill of Rights is an impossible one to achieve. The effort to change the
approximate tuition ratio from the 65 percent that the State of Kansas pays for an individual student's education, and the 35 percent the student pays to a 75/25 ratio is commendable but completely unrealistic. Both Walker and Marshall were in the perfect position to complete these aims this last year but didn't get them done. If they are so passionate about these issues, why wait?
passionate about these. The chief concern about Walker and Marshall is the allegations of questionable ethics that have been leveled against them. This fall, Walker almost was removed from his position as vice president of the Interfraternity Council because unapproved alcohol was served at a fraternity party he attended. Marshall also faced a problem when, as StudEx chairman, he played a key role in placing members of the Elections Commission, the body that investigates campaign violations. This is an obvious conflict of interest, and something that Marshall never has adequately explained, except to say that the people he nominated "clearly aren't biased" and that StudEx also
Legislative Director, Student Legislative Awareness Board
Favorite thing about KU:
Basketball games
approved the appointees. This is a change from Marshall's earlier statement that he didn't know that he was running until December, after he had nominated them. For a campaign that, according to Walker
Chairman, Student Executive Committee
Favorite thing about KU:
Giving something back to students
has been in the planning since September, this raises serious questions.
— Tabatha Beerbower and Drew Ryun for the editorial board
Students First features spirit, but lacks experience
Students First speeches are filled with rhetoric of change and reform. The candidates claim that what they're doing takes a great deal of courage and that they will "change the very nature of Senate" and "how decisions are made." Unfortunately, behind all this talk remains a vague platform that does not confront important campus issues.
The Students First coalition work ethic is impressive, but it is not the right pick for Student Senate. Although called Students First, its issues seem to be far off the mark from about what most students actually are concerned. Instead of solving pertinent campus problems, the coalition is pushing for more publicity and participation in the Homecoming Parade and Hawk Nights. To increase attendance at the parade, Students First proposes either canceling Friday classes or moving the parade to Saturday morning. Neither would likely increase attendance, as most people go because they already are on campus.
Of all sets of student body presidential and vice presidential candidates, Sam MacRoberts and Carrie Depenbusch are the only pair who believes that the almost $500,000 Senate Reserve Account should be saved. This conservative view hurts students, because the account accrues no interest and therefore actually loses value annually.
Students First's commitment to adding more lighting and blue phones is a strong plank of its platform, but finding the money to do it will be more difficult than the candidates think.
They do have a very good idea in their Senate outreach program. The program requires senators to perform 10 hours of community outreach per semester. This includes attending student organization meetings and eating with living groups.
Starting the "first all-inclusive third party."
Favorite thing about KU: Enjoying campus, people and fraternity life
President of KU Ambassadors
Favorite thing about KU:
Opportunities for everyone to be involved
MacRoberts and Depenbusch are very intelligent and enthusiastic and definitely would provide at least some small-scale change. But despite their positive personalities, their
issues seem standard and not in tune with what students truly want accomplished.
Eric Borja for the editorial board
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