Seven candidates competed for spots on the Tufts Community Union Judiciary and the Committee on Student Life (CSL) during last nights TCU Senate Candidates Forum held in the Hotung Cafe.
This years candidates for CSL included senior Nina Bernstein, junior Andrew Nunez, senior Walker Bristol and freshman Tafari Duncan. Freshman Matthew Felsenfeld, freshman Anna Weissman and sophomore Matthew Ender-Silberman ran for spots on the Judiciary.
The debate opened with one-minute long opening statements from each candidate.
Bernstein focused her opening statement on the future of the CSL, claiming that it should work to be more connected with the student body. Nunez emphasized his experience in the Senate and his disagreement with the CSLs justified departure policy.
Last year was a hallmark for me realizing what the university is capable of doing and how that affects the student experience this year, Nunez said. The new CSL policy towards student religious groups completely changed my opinion of what the facultys and administrations idea of the student experience is.
Bristol picked up Nunezs denouncement of CSLs justified departure policy and explained that he saw the student body and the faculty as deeply divided.
I want to appeal this incredible affront to equality and diversity this justifiable departure policy, he said.
Running for a position on the Judiciary, Felsenfeld emphasized his strong belief in student government, claiming that he was capable of internalizing student government decision-making. Weissman focused on her traits of honesty and honor and declared that she was determined to support the structures put in place by former students.
Ender-Silberman departed from the conventional introduction and instead explained his love for the Tufts community.
The last student to give an introduction was Duncan, who said that he was willing to devote himself for the next four years to bettering the Tufts student experience.
After the introductions, the candidates were presented with a series of questions submitted via e-mail. Each candidate was given approximately 45 seconds to answer.
The first question, directed to all the candidates, was whether the candidates would base their CSL decision making on logic or emotion. Bernstein said she would trust neither, but instead talk to people, look at what was possible and base her decision on practicality.
Bristol also emphasized the need to consult other students, especially minorities, while Nunez declared that the question presented a false dichotomy. Claiming that emotions simply represent peoples reactions to injustice, he proceeded to move into a denouncement of the justified departure policy.
Several more rounds of questions followed. The CSL candidates were asked for their opinions on the work of the Tufts Divest For Our Future student group. On this issue, the candidates agreed that divestment was, in their view, the best choice for the environment and the best choice for Tufts. However, Duncan argued that although he personally supported divestment, it was important to also consider the implications of divesting, such as the possible rise of tuition rates.
Another question posed to the candidates dealt with religious convictions on campus. All of the candidates adamantly declared their support for religious tolerance. Bristol also took the opportunity to note that, as the president of the Tufts Freethought Society, he considered himself to be in tune with how religious groups operate on campus. He stated that he preferred to see open relationships between all of the groups.
Nunez declared his support for the chaplaincy in its task of coordinating student religious groups.
We have to remember that [student religious groups] are not churches, Nunez said. They are co-curricular spaces.
After the question and answer portion, the candidates were given 45 seconds for a concluding statement, and most took this opportunity to reiterate their opposition to discrimination.
Polls for this years elections will open at midnight on Wednesday and remain open until 11:59 p.m.
Voting instructions can be found by visiting ecom.tufts.edu/vote.
