Veterans, New Comers Face Off in GSSC Debates

Financial aid, housing, and loan debt were hot topics at Tuesday night’s General Studies Student Council candidate debates, where presidential and Vice President of Policy hopefuls presented platforms with a common thread—what candidates purported as a return to integrity for the beleaguered council.

In an opening to a packed room, Vice President of Policy candidates Dave Minchin, Michael Rain, and Worker’s Representative Allen Settle all focused on transparency and effectiveness in leadership, and stressed the need for parity with other undergraduate schools.

The presidential debates focused on the future, as executive board veterans Keith Hightower and Brody Berg emphasized their experience while Inter-school Representative Ishmael Osekre and council newcomer Virdis Bala stressed the importance of their new approaches to GS shortfalls.

“We’ve all seen what the past GS council can do, and it’s time to move forward in a different direction,” said Osekre, who announced that he would push for guaranteed housing for GS students. Citing his experience in event planning that allowed him to work closely with other students, councils, and leaders, Osekre said he would bring to the council “fresh ideas and solutions to the same old problems.”

“I’m bringing the experience, relationships that I’ve built, understanding of how things work in the system, so that we can all consolidate,” Osekre said, adding that he would also push for increased security for GS students and a greater involvement in CUArts.

Current Vice President of Finance Hightower mentioned his experience in both business and in working with councils and student leaders, cautioning against electing a completely fresh-faced president, which he said was sometimes “risky business.” Hightower pointed out that this year’s executive board was comprised of many new faces. “We don’t need to go through another learning period,” he said.

Current Vice-President of Communications Berg reminded audience members of his experience and extensive work on the web portal gslounge.com saying, “This candidacy is about capitalizing on those lessons and relationships.”

But Bala criticized Berg and Hightower for contributing to what he saw as an inert council. “You guys were completely unable to do anything right,” he said, attacking Berg and Hightower for overdue financial aid initiatives and their personal council records. When Bala was asked whether he was simply “angry” without plans for change, he assured GS voters that he had seriously focused his efforts on researching financial reports of the school and developing new ways to actively approach the aid problem.

Hightower persisted that he would “move the GSSC into a direction that would be more productive, more effective, and more professional.” A problem with this year’s council, he commented, was a collective lowering of standards—something he said he wants to rectify. “I plan on raising that standard.”

Hightower proposed subsidized housing vouchers to counteract the skyrocketing housing costs, as well as offering University-backed student loans and summer courses to help students complete academic requirements while minimizing costs.

Hightower and Berg continued to rally against this year’s “failed” council. “We have to have a leader who can keep the council together,” Hightower said. “We were challenged in getting even the most basic things done,” Berg agreed, describing himself as a “background leader” who would give council leaders the tools they needed to function in their positions.

“It was a difficult semester. ... The GSSC was under a lot of pressure to present a positive image,” Osekre agreed.

“This is a new opportunity,” Berg said in the concluding remarks. “It’s a new era.”

alix.pianin@columbiaspectator.com