Online only: SA General Election presidential debates 2011

2/3/11 6:00pm

Student Association presidential candidates Georgia Lagoudas, Adrianne Waddell and Erik Tanner/Daniel Hays debated Monday night following the SA meeting. The debate was moderated by Thresher Creative Director Dave Rosales. Unless denoted by quotation marks, answers have been paraphrased for conciseness.

Opening statements:

GL: "My name is Georgia Lagoudas and I am a junior studying bioengineering. I'm really excited to be here tonight and thank you to everyone for coming out to this event. I've served on the Student Association for three years - first as new student representative, and then senator, and now as current secretary, and I've worked on a variety of projects within the SA ranging from the Rice in a Box archive student project to environmental projects around campus and student involvement in the Centennial [Committee]. I think the SA's a really important part of the student body because it brings together students, colleges, administration and all of us together here today. I think it's the responsibility of the president to be proactive in addressing campus issues like we've been working on this year and collaborate with students and colleges. It's my goal as president to take initiative on campus issues and bring the SA message out to the student body. Your input counts and together we can make Rice a better place."

---

---

AW: "My name is Adrianne Waddell; I am a junior majoring in environmental engineering. I just want to talk about the debate tonight. I have done a variety of things on campus - campus-wide and within my college - so I really think I have a fresh perspective to bring to the table tonight. I also hope that you guys really take a lot from this and can connect with where I'm coming from on the issues and with where I stand and why I'm running. I hope to do that by being as transparent as possible tonight - this is me, no notes, nothing else, nothing prepared. I hope you guys take advantage of that."

ET/DH: "As your parents have probably told you, I am Erik Tanner/Daniel Hays and I am going to be the next president of Rice University. We. Let's get started by us telling you a little bit about what my life is all about. Together I am 44 years old. I am divorced, and I live in a van down by the river. You kids are probably saying to yourself, 'Erik/Daniel, I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna get the world by the tail, wrap it around and put it in my pocket.' I'm here to tell you that you're probably going to find out, as you go out there, that you're not going to amount to jack squat. You're going to end up eating a steady diet of university cheese and living in a van down by the river - unless, that is, you write in Erik Tanner/Daniel Hays for president of Rice. We have the most experience of any candidate here, and in fact, we're the only candidate running for this position."

What is the function of the Student Association and what is the role of the SA president?

AW: The role of the SA president is to be a representative of all students on campus. They should be an advocate for students and be proactive in changing our quality of life for the better. The SA president is the first role students associate with the SA, so the way you conduct yourself is really going to mean a lot. The SA should serve as a collaboration center. Colleges have been dealing with a lot of issues on their own and the SA can serve as the center so everyone can work together. To the outside world, we're from Rice, and that needs to mean something.

GL: It's also key that the president is a facilitator between students, the administration and the colleges. We need to work to bring students together, discuss campus-wide issues, as well as work with the administration, RUPD and the Dean's Office.

ET/DH: "We would like to point out that we are running for the president of the university, not the Student Association." Vision for the second semester (three main points): 1. Longer lunches, 2. Longer recesses, 3. No homework and 4. Drinking more beer. Those are our three points.

What do you see as the most important issue the SA faces in the next year?

ET/DH: "We understand the question. We have heard the question and the answer is ... The answer is there will be lots of issues."

GL: The SA has many challenges: Some are exciting and some are things we should focus on. We need to work on communication with the student body, getting the message of the SA out and getting input from students. We should work on committee reform and making more focused task forces in the SA. Outside of the SA, we should work on the alcohol policy, working with RUPD and the challenges of a larger student body.

AW: We need to keep the momentum going with making changes, for instance, with the alcohol policy. The challenge is going to be keeping students motivated and proactive.

What are some of the concrete ways you plan to facilitate communication between the student body and the administration?

GL: It's important that it's a two-way communication: Go out to the students and take the message to them and bring in input, encourage people to participate. We could do this through media, electronic poll, student blogs and forums. We should also reach out to college cabinets, and students at meals.

ET/DH: "You probably haven't heard about this yet, but the incumbent David Leebron is not running against us in this election." We will take over his house and renovate it to accommodate more students. We're going to be making our own Four Loko dispensary.

AW: We should provide opportunities like forums and make those forums approachable and accessible to students, especially underclassmen. Many people are intimidated to speak their mind.

What is love?

AW: "Love is something indescribable. It's culture of care."

GL: I think love has different sides to it. Love can be friendship, love with someone you want to be with the rest of your live and family love for your parents and pets.

ET/DH: I'll answer that by telling you what love is not. Richard Dick Sandwich. Stupid and ugly. Greasy hair, dirty fingernails. He always wears that nasty pink sweater.

What differentiates you from other candidates?

GL: Being in the SA for three years, I learned the structure of the organization and how to be effective and work with administrators. I have great communication skills and can understand their perspective and the student perspective. I am good at reaching out to students for their opinion and bringing that to the SA.

AW: I have a lot of experience outside of the SA: I've learned a lot of leadership skills and I think that an outside perspective helps me know better what you guys want. It will help us continue to make these changes to better the SA because I know how others perceive it.

ET/DH: [Candidates motion to Erik's ruffles, Daniel's hat] Thank you.

What is the biggest problem the SA has had in the past three years and why have they failed to solve it?

GL: Keeping consistency throughout the SA - each presidency seems something different, so there's not a legacy that stays. This is something we can work on by creating archives and a website that can function throughout many years. Also, encouraging students to be involved for all four years so they have experience to pass on as well.

How many SA meetings have you attended?

AW: I have attended four or five meetings. I applied to be an NSR my freshman year but didn't get it, so I got involved with my college. There's nothing that I can't learn. I've talked with Kate, I've talked to Selim. That's more important than what I haven't done yet.

Do you have any respect for the SA whatsoever? Why or why not?

ET/DH: "In the words of the incomparable Alex Crompton: 'I have had my fingers sucked by a dumpster behind a strip mall and a finger burned by a match.'"

What are the SA committees? Please give a brief summary of each.

GL: There are four SA committees: 1. Academics, which works on putting out student polls like the one on what students want as minors; 2. Environmental, which works on recycling, new energy initiatives; 3. Student Life, which works on housing, student activities; 4. Sports and Health, which is working on the all-star powderpuff game and the rock wall.

AW: I don't think I need to go through them all again, but some other things the committees did are the GSA mixer, Sammy's Picnic and RESET.

ET/DH: The answer is that there are too many. The kind of control the committees want is impossible. Evolution teaches us that Rice breaks through boundaries. Rice finds a way. Thank you.

If you could have a torrid relationship with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

AW: "Matt Taylor. Oh my gosh."

GL: "I guess I'd have to pick someone in common stream media. I guess I'll go with Harry Potter because he's awesome."

ET/DH: "Mr. Mark Hoffman. I don't think we need to explain why."

How would you convince people that are involved in their own colleges to dedicate time to the SA?

ET/DH: Once there was a student named Matthew Wilson who packed up and took off to California. Or so the story goes. But really he was brainwashed and kidnapped by Dick Sandwich.

AW: I would let people know that being involved outside your college is not equated with not loving your college and create an image where people are proud of the SA and don't poison the well.

GL: I would engage with incoming students, bring them in, make them feel like part of the student body. Many people aren't familiar with the issues the SA deals with, so showing them why they should care is also important.

What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about Rice?

AW: My most favorite thing is the college system. Also, the high caliber of students: You won't have that ever again. I didn't know where I was going, but the people here have made it worth my time. The worst thing is the fire alarms because they keep you up until five in the morning after public parties.

ET/DH: Our favorite part about Rice is the installation art. There is really a lack of giant metal sunflowers and concrete monstrosities. We should really try to suppress good taste. Our least favorite part is the weather. As presidents of Rice, we will take aggressive measures to ensure that during the day, there is 50 percent humidity, 75 degrees, and at night it is 50 degrees and overcast.

GL: My favorite part of Rice is the people I interact with everyday. Every time I meet someone new, I get really excited about their background and what they can share - everyone here has something to offer. My least favorite part is that I have to go to the BRC every day, so I feel a bit isolated from everyone else.

What is your favorite nerd pickup line?

GL: "I usually don't pick up people, so I don't have a repertoire of pickup lines. 'Wow you look tired because you've been running in my mind all day.'"

AW: "It's an ice breaker: 'How much does a polar bear weigh?'"

ET/DH: "We have extensive knowledge of this because we pick up people daily. 'You must be a hypotonic solution because you're making me turgid.'"

How can the SA reach out to clubs, organizations and the GSA to improve the quality of student life?

AW: Networking is a big thing. I would invite club presidents to SA meetings: have a lunch meeting, make it informal. I think when you have that network, it goes a long way.

GL: I agree with a lot of that. It is important that student clubs want to be a part of the SA - they need to have a reason. We should offer opportunities for student clubs to reach out to students and get involved with students. This year, I've gotten to know the GSA and officers in the GSA; those are the first steps in building a relationship.

ET/DH: "Well, there's not going to be a choice because we're going to rule with an iron, but fair in a somewhat biased way, fist."

What type of bear is best?

GL: "I will go with a panda bear is best."

AW: "Well, when you say bear, a YouTube video comes to my mind, but I would say a polar bear."

ET/DH: "[Erik:] The answer is sitting directly to my right."

How can we be sure you will meet the current comedic needs of the student body?

ET/DH: The question as I understand it is 'Do I have a president complex?' If you're looking for the president of Rice, he is in the [Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen] every night and he does not like to be second-guessed. You're asking me if I have a president complex ... well, let me tell you something. I am the president.

Is the claim that you aren't involved closely at Lovett accurate and do you think you would be able to work effectively on real issues?

GL: I was a new student representative when I was a freshman; I've been with the Associates Committee; I'm a Beer Bike captain. I have my college, I love my college and I bring that to the SA as well. I try to have a broader perspective about what we should do - every student at every college.

Would you support IT installing filters to block pornographic content and would you support regulating what sort of content Open Magazine can publish?

AW: The purpose of Open is to make topics that are sexually sensitive less taboo, so I think if you're going to make any big change to a student organization, you need to have a student voice in that. I don't look at porn so I thought IT might have filters on it already. That's up to the students - if it's causing problems on the server, though, we should address it.

What is your spirit animal?

GL: A rabbit, because my last name, Lagoudas, means rabbit in Greek and because I like to run and rabbits like to run.

ET/DH: Tanner in Danish means two-headed fighting cock.

AW: A penguin. My last name gets translated to waddle a lot. Also, I have a 4-foot-tall penguin from the rodeo.

What are you doing on Valentine's Day?

ET/DH: "We generally prefer to keep to ourselves. We'll be watching Notting Hill and drinking mimosas."

GL: "I'll probably be at another SA meeting waiting for the finals of elections and spending time with friends."

AW: "I'll be hosting a student for Vision."

What is your opinion on the recent issues with the alcohol policy and the RUPD actions because of it?

GL: We're having a great discussion with students about the alcohol policy. It's not acceptable that we've had this many EMS calls and not do something about it. I don't think we should change the alcohol policy, but the way students drink, their level of respect for RUPD and how they take care of each other needs to change.

AW: There is just a general lack of respect for other students and RUPD, and we need to look at what is hurting our culture of care. I think a lot of people can make small changes, and people are starting to after the forum. A lot of these issues will gradually fade away. Tonight [at the SA meeting] we talked about the Drinking Task Force, DTF. We need to keep that going.

ET/DH: What do I think about this? This issue fills me with rage, Rage, RAGE.

What is your definition of the culture of care?

AW: Culture of care is not the alcohol policy alone: It's everything. It means taking care of students in everything from academics to social life to extracurriculars. Drinking is being associated with culture of care right now, but it has to do with so much more than that.

GL: Culture of care has come up now because of the alcohol issue and because there has been a shift away from being responsible and taking care of our friends. We need to be cognisant of what's going on. Rice is a tight-knit community, but it seems in the past year something has been lacking.

ET/DH: I think it's something we need to try hard to understand. The term culture of care often just gets thrown around like a buzzword. We need to break it down into its parts: culture and care. When I think culture, I think of music and art. When I think of care, I think of Care Bears and being nice to each other and soft, cuddly things. If we had more parties centered around soft things, I think it would help.

AW: I thought you were really going somewhere for a second. I agree that it is just thrown around a lot.

Closing statements:

GL: "Being at Rice for the past three years, I've found that I've grown to love campus more each day that I'm here. Every time I meet a new student or faculty or administrator, I find that Rice is such an amazing place. It's exciting to hear about the opportunities outside of us. As a freshman, as a new student rep in the SA, I found that it was with the SA that I could make a difference at Rice, and I could try to make an impact on our community. I felt empowered the first time when I had a small project on my own, that I initiated, to paint the tree roots on the Outer Loop. It was something small, but it was a small step, and I think these are the small steps that we can bring together, and these are what's needed to affect change within students. One quote that I like by John Adams is, 'If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you're a leader.' That is my goal as president: to collaborate with students and inspire students to become leaders. There are many ways that we can make an impact: Whether it's promoting the culture of care, or it's fighting for a student organization, or it's starting a new energy initiative, we can all make a difference. I would be honored to serve as your student association president and make your experience at Rice one to remember."

AW: "I've been immersed in my college and campus-wide for the last three years, and, up until this year, I've never felt like the Student Association impacted me - and that's a problem. [Former SA President] Patrick [McAnaney] said two years ago that he wanted you, the students, to be just as proud of the SA as you are of your colleges. The SA has made a lot of improvements this year, but there's still a lot to be done to get to that point. I don't think we should settle for what's going well right now when we can do better, when we can change more. I think that's important and I think I have the passion to do it. I have the experience to do more, to make those changes and keep them going. I know we can do better, and as your SA president, that's exactly what I'll do."

ET/DH: "We're doing this for the same reason those guys turned around Willy's statue in the '80s, the same reason why people invented Baker 13 and Willy Week: because there's something amazing at this university - there's a bold, irreverent and funny nature to it, and there's a freedom here that doesn't exist anywhere else. There are very few places in the whole world where you can do this crap and get away with it. Unfortunately, that side is starting to die for us - that spirit is starting to wane. We wanted to express that freedom and hopefully encourage you to do the same. Keep fighting. Don't let this place become boring. One of the main reasons we're doing this is specifically because we can do this. I think that fact has been lost on a lot of people. We want this to be a call to action to all the students here to do these kinds of weird, quirky, silly, stupid things that don't really make any sense and to keep that alive as part of the Rice tradition, and it's been an important part of the Rice culture since its inception. We do feel that it's dying and we don't want it to. Georgia and Adrianne, whoever ends up winning, we hope, we're putting in your charge to get the student body fired up about this and to take a stand against the direction this administration has been taking toward emulating Ivy Leagues, emulating other schools. We want you to demand that we are Rice University and that we do not become the Harvard of the South."

Voting in the SA General Elections opened Monday night at midnight.

---