Vote Li for academic affairs, Tobia for equity and outreach

Academics are the epicenter of a university. From advising to intellectual climate, the Duke Student Government committee for academic affairs addresses a broad range of important policies that have significant consequences for all students at Duke. Therefore, the vice president for academic affairs must not only have a firm grasp on the educational issues that are important to students and faculty, but also possess a broader conceptual understanding of the relationship between academic policy and the liberal arts institution.

Between the two candidates—freshman Prashanth Ciryam and sophomore Ray Li—Li is the candidate who best meets these criteria. As a senator for academic affairs, he has had extensive exposure to the structure of DSG and the operations of the committee. His two-fold platform, pushing policies that address specific concerns and bolstering the vibrancy of academic life with targeted programming, exhibits a focused understanding of issues particularly important to students’ academic experiences.

While Ciryam is a knowledgeable candidate who emphasizes open communication with the student body, his inexperience and narrow conception of concrete proposals make him the weaker candidate.

Unfortunately, both candidates lack a robust, complete vision for the role of academics at a liberal arts institution. Li’s platform relies on specific, recycled ideas, which are important, but constitute relatively small reforms. Ciryam’s platform relies on continuous student input without clear direction. We encourage the winner to be more thoughtful as they attempt to integrate a broad conception of liberal arts education into the proposals drafted by their committee.

For DSG vice president for equity and outreach, Caroline Hall and Jacob Tobia, both juniors, are qualified and competent candidates, but they present diverging approaches to addressing equity concerns.

Hall’s action-driven proposals for structuring her committee exhibit thoughtfulness and a thorough understanding of DSG operations. The majority of her platform, however, is not specific, and her administrative approach to addressing controversial campus issues reveals a degree of naivete.

We therefore endorse Tobia for vice president for equity and outreach. He boasts an impressive record of effective advocacy. He has spearheaded successful equity initiatives on campus, including securing gender-neutral housing, opposing Amendment One, advocating for coverage of sexual reassignment and achieving other various accomplishments. The diversity of his involvement in these initiatives demonstrates his dynamic leadership skills and the depth of his concern for all groups on campus. These qualities, paired with his concrete proposals for improvement, make Tobia the better candidate.

Given the recent campus controversies surrounding equity issues, the vice president for equity and outreach will play a vital role in exercising leadership not only in reacting to such cases but also in preventing them from erupting in the first place. This will require a commitment to fostering understanding between students. Therefore, we hope that, instead of pursuing an antagonistic or authority-driven approach, the winner will be tactful in making this understanding a priority.