NAMI endorses Adair for DSG president

NAMI at Duke is delighted to endorse Annie Adair for DSG President. Throughout this process, we were impressed by every candidate and the vigor with which they want to improve our university. After much contemplation, we are assured that Annie’s pragmatic, equitable, and inclusive vision will be the best voice for Duke’s student body.

As someone who is a transfer student and an independent, Annie has had many experiences that those most underrepresented in student government have faced, and that allows her to connect with and empower Duke’s most needing communities. Most importantly, Annie’s clear-cut, substantive approaches to creating a more open, inviting, and involved community are goals we have to help improve campus mental health. At the governmental level, Annie aims to transform DSG from a reactive to a proactive body. At a student-issue level, Annie has the ability ability to capture the many different voices and bring them together. For example, her approach to housing which combines highlighting the importance of living groups and also incorporating the call to diversify the approach to solving independent housing problems.

John Guarco has and continues to play a key role in mental health initiatives and his impact has not gone unnoticed. However, our long-term vision for Duke’s approach to mental health and NAMI’s role in mental health are more line with Adair’s. Tara Bansal’s past experiences as the Vice President of Academic Affairs and as a leader on a multitude of initiatives communicated her versatility and dynamism to us. We are nevertheless undecided on her ability to best represent NAMI and its interests and also integrate non-DSG voices into the student government process as best as Adair can.

Instead of having only plans and proposals, Annie also brings a breath of fresh air and a much needed change in perspective to the office of DSG President. We are confident that Annie will help create a better Duke for those with mental illness and for Duke as a whole.

Khalouk Shahbander,Trinity ‘18

President, NAMI at Duke University