RHA tickets debate campaign issues

As the IU Student Association elections came to a close, another student governing body began campaigning for its election taking place tomorrow.\nVoting for the Residence Halls Association elections will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow near the center desk of each residence hall.\nThe RHA held a debate Thursday night featuring the two tickets vying for RHA's executive positions. The debate was conducted in the Foster-Harper formal lounge and was moderated by Co-Elections Commissioners Eric Hafner and Kara Kosowski.\nThe two tickets, Connect and Amplify, discussed various campus-related issues, including on-and off-campus living, alcohol policies, food services and diversity.\nThe Amplify ticket touched upon various issues it is interested in tackling, including building a new IUTV Web site for more student input, repairing blue emergency call booths and getting more student groups and organizations involved in residence hall life.\n"Our most pressing issue is getting students involved," said Paul York, Amplify's vice presidential candidate for student affairs. "Students are incredibly apathetic right now. We need to gain their interest in elections and campaigns and get them out there voting."\nAndrew Walker, Amplify's vice presidential candidate for internal affairs, said his ticket's plan would already be in motion if Amplify takes office.\n"Our plans would give students the opportunity to go face to face with administrators and let them be heard," Walker said. "This way, every voice would be brought to the top."\nJohn Palmer, the Connect ticket's presidential candidate, said the two tickets are very similar because they are approaching the same issues, though their stances differ.\nConnect's plans include expanding food services, creating a position for director of diversity within the RHA and creating a board of programmers for all residence halls.\n"We want to be able to walk around with students to let them know what we can do for them," said Randall Sundt, Connect's vice presidential candidate for student affairs. "We'll stand outside residence halls and go into food courts to let students know what RHA is all about."\nBoth tickets agreed on several issues, especially concerning campus-wide student involvement and interaction.\n"We need to make sure that the organization as it stands will work," Walker said. "We need to do more community building also. Programs to bring people together and allow them to see how alike they are to each other are very important."\nBut a substantial difference between the two tickets arose at one point. The Amplify ticket said it would like to see more security precautions taken within residence halls so outsiders are not allowed in, while Connect wants the dorms to be more open.\n"We need to address this issue (of harassment within the residence halls)," York said. "Too many people can just get into the residence halls. We need to put a stop to it and figure out a way to keep this from happening in the future."\nThe Connect ticket agreed, but it addressed the issue of building communities, which it said starts within the residence halls.\n"Residence halls like Collins have open floors," Sundt said. "Some other residence halls don't have this, which makes it difficult to get to know people. We will try to find ways to get people in a central location so they can branch out to get to know people."\nAlcohol policies in various residence halls were also on both tickets' agendas. Both tickets said they don't foresee much change with the policy as it stands right now.\n"We're still working on this for next year," Palmer said. "I don't really see changing it as a feasible option for now though."\nYork said he feels the current policy is very conducive to students.\n"I was an RA (Resident Assistant) last year, and I think the policy is very lenient right now," York said. "RAs cannot enter rooms randomly, and they really only know something is going on if it gets out of hand. The policy really fits students right now, and it should stay where it is."\nMore information regarding the individual tickets can be found at http://amplify.ads.iu.edu and www.connectrha.com.\n-- Contact staff writer Matt Mattucci at mmattucc@indiana.edu.