Tracy T. Moore II ’06, Matthew J. Glazer ’06, and Teo P. Nicolais '06 face a volley of questions in the first and only UC presidential debate, held last night in Science Center A.
Past experience and priorities for the future comprised the core of last night’s debate for the Undergraduate Council presidency and vice presidency.
With voting beginning Monday and lasting through the end of next week, the debate offered the candidates a forum to talk about issues such as House life, the curricular review and structural changes to the council in front of several dozen students assembled in the Science Center.
The debate began with a volley of questions to the vice presidential candidates, followed by a similar round of questioning to the presidential candidates.
Questions to the presidential candidates hinged on council experience and on differences between their platforms. Tracy T. Moore II ’06, the only presidential candidate without council experience, said that he would use his outside perspective to invoke change.
“We need to increase the diversity of ideas on this campus, so that students can learn from each other,” Moore said.
“We have seen what strong leadership has gotten us...Jim Breuer, bounced checks and broken promises,” Moore said. “Running the UC isn’t rocket science.”
Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Chair Matthew J. Glazer ’06 said that the candidates espoused similar goals, but differed in approach.
“Alleviating the student space crisis is our number one priority, along with ensuring that there is a cohesive student voice in the curricular review,” said Glazer, who is a third-year council member.
“That is incredibly important as the faculty votes on [the curricular review] in the coming semester,” Glazer said. Financial Committee Chair Teo P. Nicolais ’06, who has been on the council for two years, said that his focus as president would be “bringing the council and the community together.”
Nicolais said that he would hold biweekly meetings with the House Committees (HoCos) and work with the prefect program and student groups to “bring the council and community together.”
Nicolais had to defend the fact that his running mate, Samita A. Mannapperuma ’06, is also his girlfriend.
“We share a vision,” Nicolais said, explaining that his relationship with Mannapperuma would not jeopardize their ability to lead the council.
“We will show this campus and this council things that have never been seen before,” he said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
Questions to the vice presidential candidates focused on council experience and eligibility to lead the future council.
Council Treasurer Clay T. Capp ’06, who is Glazer’s running mate, came under criticism for the 93 council checks to HoCos and student groups that bounced last May.
