Judging from their campaigns, this year’s candidates for the upcoming Duke Student Government executive vice president election are running for two different positions.
Sophomore Gurdane Bhutani, DSG’s vice president for student affairs, has outlined a broad vision for the position, focusing on the general policy issues affecting the University community from a student’s perspective. Freshman Patrick Oathout, an academic affairs senator and rules committee member, is running on his commitment to reform and enforce the rules governing the DSG Senate.
Although we have several issues with his candidacy and agree that resolving procedural inefficiencies should be a priority, we support Bhutani.
In his platform, Bhutani expresses extensive knowledge about a wide range of potential issues facing students in the coming year and beyond. His identification of the house model, financial aid and lack of student input at the administrative level as the most pressing senatorial concerns demonstrated an understanding of both broader University concerns and the role of the Senate in addressing these issues.
Furthermore, Bhutani best shows the leadership skills necessary to effectively direct the Senate. His belief in the importance of developing interpersonal relationships between the Senate and the executive board mark him as a pragmatic leader. Bhutani said he was included on Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta’s administrative review committee, which shows his ability to work with administrators and be an effective student advocate.
Still, some aspects of Bhutani’s candidacy are troubling.
His relative lack of interest in the internal affairs of the Senate indicates that Bhutani is presupposing a transformation in the role of EVP through a potential referendum next Fall. Bhutani’s platform seems tailored to the DSG presidency—rather than the EVP post—and causes us to question his commitment to fulfilling the roles of the EVP as written in the DSG constitution. Considering the inefficiency and apathy rampant in the current Senate, it will be imperative that Bhutani engages himself in procedural reform at a level greater than his current lack of interest.
Where Bhutani’s candidacy is the weakest, Oathout’s is the strongest. Oathout demonstrated a fervent commitment to remedying the current inefficiencies in the Senate. His belief in the necessity of procedural reform and increased enforcement of senatorial regulations dovetails perfectly with his vision of the EVP as a largely parliamentary role.
Although Oathout’s personal commitment to the constitutional role of EVP is compelling, his scope is overly narrow. He presented little in the way of substantive policy ideas, and, while not the primary focus of the position, his lack of policy depth would impede his ability to coordinate between the Senate and executive board. While we are heartened by some aspects of his candidacy, we simply do not believe he is qualified to serve as DSG’s second highest ranking member.
Whoever wins this election would benefit from incorporating the perspectives of his current opponent. But due to his more nuanced understanding of University-wide issues and his realistic knowledge of interactions among students, DSG and the administration, The Chronicle’s independent Editorial Board formally endorses Gurdane Bhutani for executive vice president.
Precious Lockhart and Katherine Zhang recused themselves due to their roles in DSG. Cory Adkins recused himself due to personal ties.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.