Live Blogging the SA Candidate Forum

The S.A. Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidate Forum on WVBR is happening right now in Willard Straight Hall’s Browsing library. Right now VP of University of Communications Tommy Bruce is interviewing the candidates. I’ll be live-blogging until the beginning of the panel segment (which I will be participating in). I’m picking out the tragicomic moments since the forum is generally dry.

6:11pm- Presidential Candidate Tony Miller says he wants to serve as President because he likes leadership. VP counterpart Emily Cusick agrees she likes to be in charge of things too.

6:13 – Apparently, Cusick is a opera singer, but she will not grace the crowd with her lovely voice.

6:18 -VP Candidate Jon Dobrin (Manzur/Dobrin) is asked about his slate’s push for 2-ply toilet paper in the dorms. He replies “I spend a lot of time in the bathroom. I eat a lot of red meat.”

I heard foot-in-mouth disease causes frequent bowel movements.

6:22 – Murtza Manzur is asked why he wants to be president. He says “he likes helping people” nine times. We get it.

6:30 – Emyln Diakow (Purdy/Diakow) says that inefficiency bugs her. WVBR GM Kara Capelli fires back, “welcome to the SA!”

6:32 – Presidential candidate Jeff Rehberger’s running mate Ruslan Godnny doesn’t show. Doesn’t explain absence.

6:33 – Rehberger says he “didn’t really do much in high school.” He just likes to “get out there and help the fraternity” now.

6:40 – Niki Junewicz (Basil/Junewicz) informs the crowd she was the “last kid picked” in gym so she joined student government. She also spent “wholesome time” away from her friends, making sure to stay away from the city (Chicago) at all costs.

Gotta make good by Uncle Tommy (Bruce).

6:44 – Capelli makes fun of Brokman and Gindy for looking alike. They both take their thick-rimmed glasses off.

6:45 – Brokman says he wants to be prez because he likes to “argue with people” from his time on mock trial.

6:47 – Tommy Bruce asks again ” I just want to know who you are..” waving his finger at Brokman and Gindy… I expected him to shine a flashlight in their eyes.

6:48 – Capelli points out that Rammy Salem and Ola Williams are conspicuously absent. The studio plays a pre-recorded interview with the duo… Bodes well for them. Can’t hear their interview in the audience. Sorry everyone!

6:56 -Capelli asks Cusick, “Coffee or tea to stay up late to study? Don’t say adderall.”

6:59 – Jordan assumes role as moderator.  Past Review contributor Ross Freilich will handle the blogging from here on out.

7:08 – Opening statements begin.  Moderator Mike Beyman and SA President Ryan Lavin promise to interrupt if there are any “bold-faced lies or baseless accusations” made

7:11 – Fire Manzur is “an average Cornell student” with “access to horrible toilet paper and no wireless internet.”

7:14 – Emlyn Diakow (Purdy/Diakow) promises to put students first.

I want to meet the ticket that promises otherwise.

7:19 – Brokman/Gindy – running on a ticket of rational thought & fiscal responsibility.

7:20 – Tony Miller – No one up here but the Basil/Junewicz ticket besides me is qualified to lead the SA.  He continues, “There is a reason that the past VP Internals [of the SA] have told me I have done a much better job than them.”

7:21 – Salem/Williams – Beyman reads their opening statement…Promise to take less power than past presidents, and put power back in hands of students.  If students attend three consecutive meetings, students will have full voting rights at SA meetings.

That’s a much easier way to be able to vote without having to run for election.  Fascinating.

7:24 – The panel questioning begins.  First question addresses where there is waste and asks candidates to identify specific examples.  What aspects of byline funding can be restructured?

Miller – The SA wastes money too and would look to streamline.

Brokman – Cornell Cinema has been a source of waste, but it’s not all cutting.  We would like to sit with every group and do the best we can.  Promises to sit down with all 400 groups that get funding.

I hope he has a lot of free time.

Purdy -We will cut costs and provide money to the right groups.

Rehberger – It is not right to cut funding from groups, as relative to tuition, the Student Activity Fee is low.  We will try to cut costs and prevent waste.

Manzur – Take money away from wasteful groups and give money to organizations that use it well, like Hillel. [Hillel does not receive any byline funding.]

Basil – Wants to make sure that all groups are fiscally responsible and encourages all groups to cut “fluff” from their budgets.

7:30 – Ben Eisen asks whether the university initiative to increase faculty retirement is a good program.

Basil – Every constituency has a right to address their own interests, which is the purpose of the Faculty Senate, UA, etc.  We will let them address their own issues.

Dobrin – (Manzur/Dobrin) – Doesn’t see if as a terrible thing if faculty retire earlier than they otherwise would.  It is their own personal decision.

VP Tommy Bruce clarifies that this policy only affects staff, not faculty.

Purdy – Feels that it is not the univeristy’s place to tell staff when they retire.  Diakow adds that Cornell staff are essential to the Ithaca community, so although they understand it, they do not agree with it.

Gindy – (Brokman/Gindy) – This is unacceptable.

Miller – “I have more experience in this than other people here.”  Spoke with the Dean of Engineering the other day who promised that this will not be visible to students at the university, but promised to stand up for students.

7:35 – Jordan Fabian asks what is your position on the university funding the controversial displays on the Arts Quad regarding Gaza and Israel over the past few weeks.

Miller – This should be dealt with in a civil manner.

Brokman – Does not approve of university sponsoring a back and forth between the opposing sides.  It should not endorse political messages.

Purdy – Not all right to find political discussions.

Murtza – I would promote diversity on campus.

Basil – [My apologies, but I was not paying attention.  I will clarify after the debate.]

7:42 – Arjun asks the Miller slate: You are running on an experience ticket.  What are your thoughts of the lack of parity with the GPSA funding for Slope Day, relative to what the SA funds?  What are you going to do, and what have you done in the past year?

Miller – GPSA wanted hard facts from us.  They were willing to work with us, but they did not have the funds.  Next year in the funding cycle, now that we have statistics, the grad students will pay their fair amount.

7:44 – Ben Eisen asks Brokman/Gindy: You mentioned in your opening statement that you are against the Student Assembly Endowment?

Gindy responds – Saving thirty, fourty years down the line does not affect students now.

7:45 – Jordan Fabian asks Brokman/Gindy: You have pinned your message on basic services.  How can you address these issues given the budget deficit.

Brokman responds – My question is, “How do all the other schools pull it off?”  We’re only talking about the basics.

7:46 – Bilmes asks the Manzur/Dobran ticket: Have you been to SA meetings, given that you are outsiders?

Manzur – I am the president of a student organization and know how hard funding a group is.

Dobran – Everything is different.  We can’t look to the past we have to look to the future.

Second round questioning begins…

7:48 – Arjun asks the Manzur campaign whether or not legacy students (parents who attended Cornell) be granted a higher acceptance rate? Should Cornell be legacy blind?

Dobran – There are a lot of factors to look at.  Promises to not “make general sweeping opinions of things the community is divided on.  We want to address topics that everyone agrees on.”

7:49 – Ben Eisen asks Basil/Juniwiecz how to approach repealing the moratorium on student groups.

Basil – The SA sometimes regrets things immediately.  This is one. Students need and deserve their funding.

7:51 – Elie Bilmes asks Purdy/Diakow: Is there a good example of the university not putting students first?

Purdy – Slope Day is a perfect example, and the SA rectified the situation by filling in the budget gap.

7:52 – Jordan Fabian asks the final question to Purdy/Diakow.  Why do you feel that your clean campaign pledge was not signed by all slates?

Purdy – Believes that not signing it was more of a campaign move that not everyone signed it.

7:53 – Beyman asks Rehberger if he is qualified to lead having not been here for an entire year?

Rehberger – I have an outside perspective, making me more qualified.

7:55 – Audience questioning begins.  I will warn all the readers that Jordan Fabian’s battery is dangerously low.  So this blog may be ending before the debate

It’s Jordan again. Ladies and gents that does it for tonight’s event, I hope you had more run than Ross and I. Be sure to vote in the Student Assembly elections from March 3rd through 5th if you don’t accidentally delete the e-mail link to the ballot in a drunken stupor.