Tufts Community Union (TCU) Presidential candidates TCU Vice President junior Rafi Goldberg and TCU Treasurer junior Jeff Katzin held an hour-long debate over campus issues last night in Pearson Hall.
"Everything we talk about is going to be beneficial to Tufts students," Katzin said.
Both candidates began by introducing their individual platforms emphasizing their differences from one another.
Goldberg began with his "TCU Tomorrow" plan, which focuses on the futures of current students, the TCU Senate and Tufts as an institution.
"We need somebody to offer a new vision of what the Senate's going to be in the 21st century," he said. "Real change begins at home."
He discussed his plan for internship stipends for students, which "would compliment Summer Scholars very nicely." Further, he said he would increase public speaking in the curriculum, which "would give students advantages in the job market of tomorrow."
Katzin introduced his platform, titled "Making JUMBO changes." Within the JUMBO plan, Katzin identified such goals as bettering jobs, creating a tighter community, and ameliorating the housing situation.
"This is something I want to do not only for myself but also for the student body," Katzin said. "I think I have the work ethic and determination."
Goldberg and Katzin also discussed their experiences on TCU Senate as key differences. In their different roles this year, Katzin and Goldberg said they have differing perspectives of what it's like to work on the TCU Senate.
"I've had the budget experience," Katzin said. He went on to stress that his role as TCU Treasurer gave him the opportunity "to fully understand half of what an organization has to do [in order] to become a leader of that organization."
In Goldberg's case, he said his role as TCU Vice President gave him "a lot of experience with helping other people's projects work."
Both candidates commented on their leadership styles.
"To roll with the punches is something you need," Katzin said. "I'm very hands-on."
Goldberg said he leans more towards taking a step back from the everyday actions of TCU Senators, and that, as TCU Senate President, his role would be "to be very intimately involved while letting the experts be the experts - it's very important not to over-extend yourself."
Student awareness of the TCU Senate was a cause for concern for both candidates. "We need to have the student body not only know what's going on, but participate," Goldberg said.
Katzin said he agreed. "We need to put out a Senate publication, like a newsletter, once a month," he said. "You don't have to be a senator to be involved with the Senate."
When asked what they would say in their first conversation with University President Lawrence Bacow, the candidates gave completely different answers.
Goldberg said he would focus on Bacow's capital campaign and how it could be best allotted at Tufts. "We need to serve our most valuable resource, which is the students at Tufts," he said.
Katzin said that his first conversation with Bacow as TCU President would include the discussion of his opinion of Bacow's appearance on campus. "[Bacow's] communication with students is something I'm not quite satisfied with," Katzin said. "Most students don't know what he does - [they] feel like his main concern is money. It needs to be more transparent."
The audience for the debate was composed primarily of current TCU Senators, but the event was also covered live by Tufts University Television (TUTV) as Katzin said he wanted to make it a point to speak directly to viewers "at home."
