Rhodes, Zionce ready for second terms

The breadth of topics impacting students at Duke extends far beyond the purview of any individual student leader. Annually, Duke Student Government is confronted with challenges in an array of discrete yet interlocking spheres, many of which impact students in tangible ways. To effectively represent the student body, DSG requires a cadre of engaged vice presidents committed to understanding the intricacies of their committee’s core issues. They must work to engender a broader awareness of how these issues impact students, while also connecting their own projects to the mission of DSG as a whole.

Put bluntly, DSG vice presidents are important—their capabilities and decisions have consequences for all students. This year, two important races are uncontested—Derek Rhodes and Jacob Zionce will both win second terms and serve next year as vice president of Durham and regional affairs and vice president of residential life, respectively. While contestation and the exchange of ideas is a crucial element in fostering student representation, the Editorial Board is heartened by the diligence, insightfulness and passion evinced by the candidates for these positions.

A participant in Durham politics since he was six years old, Rhodes possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding the complex relationship between Duke and the surrounding community. He deconstructed reductionist narratives about a town and University in constant tension, and insightfully described his role as a facilitator seeking to enhance collaboration between students and community members. Impressively, Rhodes transformed student issues into greater Durham issues—specifically, his understanding of the interaction between University and town policies with regards to alcohol, noise and neighborhood relations should help ensure that the interests of all relevant stakeholders are accounted for in future discussions.

Going forward, we hope Rhodes keeps working to enhance awareness about the pathways available for Duke students to connect with the Durham community. Initiatives like the Duke-Durham discount program seem like they would be broadly popular with the student body, and would benefit from an infusion of student enthusiasm. Issues like the lack of student engagement with local politics could be ameliorated if students knew how much the decisions of local lawmakers—on topics like voter identification laws and city ordinances—impact their individual lives.

In his second year as vice president of residential life, Zionce seeks to continue to monitor and improve the experience of students under the new house model. His understanding that the house model is a multi-year commitment involving many different phases, allows him to maximize his efficacy by tailoring his efforts to the issues with the highest current saliency.

Further, we commend Zionce for his attention to detail and his pursuit of actionable improvements to residential life, and we hope it continues in his second year. Minor tweaks to the housing system—such as revising the requirement that all house presidents live in section, and his reworking of the Residential Group Assessment Committee’s prescriptions for what portion of each class must live in the house—are generally uncontroversial, but hugely important to the students they impact. We hope that Zionce continues to combine his broader institutional understanding of housing with his awareness of how students interact with residential policies in ensuring that the residential experience is a positive one for all.