David Jacome

Anthony Fiumidinisi

Noel Borge

By Justin Roberts
News Editor, ‘10

On Tuesday, April 7, I had the pleasure of interviewing the three men running for the Student Senate Presidency about their hopes, plans and ambitions.  Here is what they had to say:
Pauw Wow: If you are elected, what are your plans for next year?
Anthony Fiumidinisi: First, I plan on creating a committee to ensure the equal distribution of the money collected through the Student Activities Fee.  The committee will be comprised of senators, administrators and any regular student voted onto it by the Senate.
PW: A lot of people think that the Student Senate is ceremonial, little more than a popularity contest.  Would you agree?
AF: Not at all.  Right now, I am working with Dean Yam to extend the library’s hours during Finals Week.  We are also trying to buy more textbooks for the library.  Also, as the Senate’s Security Liaison, I have been trying to make sure the security staff do their jobs courteously.  I have seen security guards asleep in the booth and banged on the glass to wake them up.  Of course, we have a long way to go, but with the relationships I have developed, I think we can make some progress.  I have worked with Sodexo, I know a lot of the administrators, and have good relations with a lot of the people who can help the students.
PW: What would you like to say about the other people on your ticket?
AF: I carefully chose the other members of my ticket to ensure that a diverse combination of qualifications could be put to use for the students.  We have accounting major Jim Dillon and two former Senators in Mike Massey and Katie Ensor.  Christina Clarke, a nursing major who can represent the concerns of the large number of nursing and biology students Saint Peter’s has.  The two standards I had for choosing my running mates were experience and qualifications.  Everyone on Ticket One is active in the SPC community.  Like our slogan says, “Experience is the Way.”  We have the experience to get things done.
PW: What do you have to say about  your opponent?
AF: Noel has good ideas but he’s does not have enough experience in the Student Senate.  His leadership style is misguided and a lot of people in the Administration see him as a nuisance.   Noel has tried to say that the people on my ticket are spoiled, elite kids.  The truth is, we all have a strong work ethic.  We have earned our good reputations and the offices we hold in the SPC community.  I am very big on accountability and I think hard work is rewarded.  It is our hard work that will best serve the students.  Noel is all talk and no results. I am the opposite.  I am all work and I do not talk too much.  The Senate is about serving the students, not fulfilling personal dreams or ambitions.

PW: What are you planning to do, if you get elected?
Noel Borges: Me stating concrete goals would be complicated.  My ticket has decided to release a survey to find out which issues the students really care about.  Although the survey is anonymous, we are also collecting demographic information like race, major, resident or commuter and year. We have released 250 now and plan on distributing another 250 before the beginning of next year.  Based on word of mouth, though, we are thinking of trying to extend the range of the shuttle to 2 miles to better accommodate the needs of commuter students, to introduce SPC T.V. with student made shows, and to make game rooms in every dorm.  We might also introduce chat rooms on Blackboard like they have at Rutgers and also computers in Jazzman’s and the Hudson Room to improve the cafe feel.
My campaign is devoted to fulfilling the will of the students and not simply our own opinions.  That is why we have the survey.  We want there to be a feeling of openness.  Most of all, we want the students to make themselves heard and to make ourselves accessible to them.  My example is the Student Activities Fee.  The current Executive Board pushed it through regardless of what the students wanted.  My opposition to it was not so much to the idea itself but to how it was introduced.   I wanted to have more dialogue.
PW: How would your administration approach the implementation of the Student Activities fee?
NB: You mean if it gets passed?  Well, we would make sure that it would be distributed as evenly as possible.  We would give more money to the clubs that are more popular and whose events are more successful.  I would like to create an oversight committee that will monitor how clubs spend their money to ensure it is spent wisely.  This committee will also help those clubs whose events are not working to improve them.  If it does not get passed, we will release a survey to see if the students really want it before making any other moves.
PW: What do you have to say about your running mates?
NB: I chose them with two criteria in mind.  First, popularity because, let’s face it, popularity matters.  The second factor was competence since, obviously, after they are elected they will have to serve the students.  They are active in many different clubs, have held many officer positions and represent many different racial groups and graduating classes.  Brandon Hightower, Josephine Milfort, Tripp Weir and Stephanie Pompilus are great people.
PW: A lot of students would say that the Student Senate is only ceremonial.  Would you agree?
NB: Yes
PW: So you think that the Student Senate is just for show?
NB: Historically, it has been.  I think very gradually that is changing.  My old ticket, the ones who were elected last year, have done a relatively good job, but they have only done what the Constitution allows them to do.  For example, take the survey I have released.  They would never have reached out to the students like that.  We don’t need more Senate meeting that people dread to go to.  We need engagement between the students, the faculty and the administrators.
PW: You mentioned your old ticket.  Now, we have to talk about a sensitive issue: your disqualification last year.
NB: Well, like Martin Luther King said, “An unjust law is not a law at all.”  At other schools, students really campaign.  They spend up to $10,000 doing so.  As long as Saint Peter’s restricts campaigning, these elections will continue to be a joke.  If we want to produce quality students, to produce presidents like a Georgetown, Saint Peter’s has to allow students to develop their skills.  The Student Senate’s Constitution does not allow for that.  What’s going on here is an elite group of students keeping people from campaigning so they can maintain power.  Sure, the campaign is kind of a popularity contest and my ticket is more popular.  But we will use our popularity well.  If the elections were unrestricted, the campaigns would become more dependent on popularity, but that might wake people up and get them more involved.
PW: A lot of people have commented on your slogan.  Did you come up with it yourself?
NB: Actually, our ticket met and began brainstorming.  Then we decided on “Be Realistic, Demand the Impossible.” (Note: this is the slogan for the Young Socialist Democrat Party, we Googled it.)
PW: What do you have to say about your opponents?
NB: I think they have good intentions, but I would say to them what President Obama said to McCain in a debate.  They care about the students but do not understand how to change.  They just don’t get it.  They are cliquish and no representative of the student body.
PW: You have said your campaign is devoted in directly expressing the views of the students and not your own views.  What would you do if you thought that the students wishes were unwise?
NB: That is a good question.  I think that we will have to take that on a case by case basis.

PW: If you are elected, what plans will you have for next year?
David Jacome: I feel the president’s responsibility is to stay connected with all officers of other clubs, and come up with a way to improve performance within the organizations. There are students on campus who are actively involved within the clubs, but over the years the Senate has not helped these students at all. This will change if I’m elected. Also, my duty as president is to promote the college. Some ways to do so is by organizing meetings with club officers to increase membership within many organizations. Also, by planning for events, attending national workshops, and working with other colleges/universities our reputation will better. It’s taken 3 years to restore the society (Society of Physics Students), and to promote science outreach. With the help of the officers, we’ve managed to visit so many places, present our research ideas, update our webpage, and to build relationships with others. I’m glad to say that we’ve put Saint Peter’s College on the map in many places. We are not afraid to bring change, we promote change
PW: I have asked the other two candidates to tell me about their running mates.  What would you like to say about you’re running alone?
DJ: I did have running mates. Good ones. But, I forget to add them on the application. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you planned them out in your head. But, if it comes down to me running alone, it’s no problem. I could be running alone, but will not work alone on the problems that need to be addressed within the Senate.
PW: A lot of students think that the Student Senate is just ceremonial.  Do you agree?
DJ: I think that the Senate is an important part of the college. They have a huge
responsibility to meet with club leaders, and make decisions on behalf of them. The Senate is there is assist the clubs with carrying out the events, and making things easier for everyone. Each person in the Senate has his/her duties, and together they make sure that things are fair for all. They are looked upon for help, and should represent the college in a good way. Therefore, it’s not just ceremonial. Perhaps, over the years many students feel this way because they don’t see more of the Senate. The Senate doesn’t reach out to these club leaders, and they abandon the vision that we all share to promote the college.
PW: What do you have to say about your opponents?
DJ: I happen to know Noel Borges, and can say he is a strong leader. Since my coming to the college, we have both shared similar views. If he’s elected, I do know that the Senate will be in good hands, and I will do my best to work closely with him. We have never really had the time to sit down and talk about our plans. The two of us are always busy planning for events, his president of LASO, and I’m president of Society of Physics Students. I do wish him the best of luck in this election.
PW: What is your campaign slogan?
DJ: “Keeping in mind who we are, what we belong to, and graduating from SPC always connected as a family, this is my vision”.  It is also “The Vision and Passion to Bring Change.”
PW: What do you have to say about the Student Activities Fee?
DJ: I don’t agree that students should pay a student activities fee. I believe that the funds are not being used correctly. There are many ways to raise money, and have it in handy for emergency use. Together with students we will work to improve this concern. In planning for next semester, we will write down the costs, and find a way to raise money in advance.
PW: What issues do you think need to be addressed for the students?
DJ:
1) Students need to see more of the Senate
2) More events must be planned to benefit the students
3) Science and technology needs to be improved, and events organized to promote this
4) Cleaning SPC – “Going Green”, implying ways to save paper, and creating projects to help students become aware of Global warming
5) Stay connected with other organizations at different institutions
6) Webpage improvement – Keeping things organized and updated.
7) For disabled people, helping them out, making it safer on campus. Giving them some kind of security and making them feel like a part of SPC
8) Fixing our budget spending habits – organizing the paperwork the right way, checking out what organizations are active, and doing what. Saving money by self-funding, partnership opportunity, applying for some funding aid.
9) Outreach – to younger kids, and promoting the college.
10) Improving the technology on campus, slow-internet for students with laptops, classrooms with bad computers, dirty bathrooms, and other things that need to be addressed. Working with the administration to implement a plan and work to fix these things for our students.
11)  Parking for students, working with Parking Authority so students who can’t afford parking permits can park near the college. Many students have gotten their cars booted, and/or ticketed; this is not fair at all.
And there are perhaps more concerns I can’t think of that need to be addressed. I promise to take care of these things if elected.