CU Student Government Debate

Q: Why do you believe you are fit for this role? 

 Dedication: First, we understand CU Boulder issues as we are involved in several extracurriculars. CU Boulder needs someone who is leading while also following. 

 Unity for All: We bring skills and experience to issues, as we have created the Bandana project, which is where any student who wears a bandana on their backpack is a resource to any student who needs help. We are passionate about the student body, dedicated, and ready to selflessly serve. 

 CU 4 All: We are an all-female ticket, come from different backgrounds, and bring new perspectives. We also bring previous experience at the local and state level, so we have an idea about what students on campus are passionate about. 

 Q: The 2021 CU Boulder Sexual misconduct survey results found that there has been an increase in severity of sexual misconduct. How would you address sexual misconduct prevention and how would you fit that within CUSG Budget and CU Boulder guidelines? 

 CU 4 All: We believe the Blue Light system would help make students feel safer on campus at night – it enables students and faculty to quickly alert local PD and campus officials in the event of an emergency. We also would work to get funding to get the freshman class personal safety alarms – we have talked to a producer and are working to lower costs from 30 dollars down to 6 dollars. We would not increase student costs and would work against all odds. 

 Unity for All: We are focused on action. Instead of a Blue Light system, which was taken away in 2016 due to most of the calls being pranks or often trolls, we propose working with CU admin to address issues, directing people to the right resources like the Office of Victim Assistance (OVA), and calling on the student voice. 

 Dedication: It’s not a quick or simple response. We believe in providing more funding to systems that are already in place. We would like to use CU NightRide, adding victim advocates to the OVA office, and agree with the Blue Light System. 

Q: A commonly cited shortcoming of CU Administration has been the lack of communication during public safety events. What are some ways in which you would improve communication and messaging from CU Institutions regarding public safety events? 

 Unity for All: The CU Alert system is designed to be effective, and we would work to find people (from CU or independently) who are willing to work full-time to actively monitor alerts in Boulder, within the limitations of the Jeanette Clery Disclosure Act. It’s our responsibility as a university to maintain the safety of our on-and-off campus students. 

 Writer’s note: The Jeanette Clery Disclosure Acts sets a legal standard for how the university discloses on- and -off campus emergencies. The university is not required to inform students about off-campus emergencies, only on-campus. Moreover, they can suffer legal repercussions if an alert is not confirmed. 

 Dedication: We understand the Boulder PD are doing their best. Instead of solely relying on the police, we would work with a third-party. We propose making a mandatory app, of which the freshman would only have an option to opt-out, instead of email or text messages.

 CU 4 All: We first propose increasing the monitoring radius up to five miles, which includes the Hill, and could potentially save lives. We also believe a potential threat alert, even if they haven’t been confirmed would be effective 

 Q: Can you give us a single specific example of a policy that you would champion or introduce within your first few days in office, what is your estimated cost(s) of this project, and how would you get this passed in CUSG? 

 CU 4 All: In our first few days in office, we will focus on introducing policy to address sexual assault prevention. We believe in the Blue Light system and are willing to find alternatives such as an app that has the same idea. We would reach out to several different local representatives and would ask them to collaborate or sponsor our personal safety alarms. We will focus on gathering support and spreading awareness on their effectiveness. The cost is estimated to be 60,000 dollars to develop, test and implement. Our immediate response is to not raise student fees and would work with other options such as shuffling money from call centers or fundraising with sororities, such as Panhellenic, or the CUPD.

 Unity for All: We will focus on championing food insecurity. We understand that attending CU Boulder, it’s not easy to set aside one’s pride and ask for help. We would try to work with the Community Food Share and flesh out the possibility of creating a grocery delivery system; we want to collaborate and have thought about working with CU Nightride. We also want to raise awareness about the Buff Pantry and would love to create a video with students and faculty. The cost for this policy is just under a million dollars (out of a 26-million-dollar budget). We would focus on collaboration and work with the Volunteer Resource Center. They have a “plethora of dedicated volunteers working” and it wouldn’t add a burden as they are struggling to reach their 30 hours per semester. 

 Dedication: We would like to introduce policy on creating better mental health crisis help. Currently, there is a two-week wait period, and we would like to help students much earlier. We would work with the facilities on campus and so this would not cost more money. We want to maximize our resources to be cost efficient, not deficient. We would call upon established programs, mentors, and alumni to help fund this initiative. 

 Q: As leaders, accountability is important. How will you hold yourself accountable and keep your campaign promises? 

 CU 4 All: We recognize there will be limitations and so do not wish to make promises, promises we might not be able to keep. Instead, we promise to uphold our values, work ethic, and vow to work for the student body.

 Unity for All: We want to hit the ground running and want to do the absolute most for the student body. We will only make promises that we know we can keep and call on the student body to hold us accountable. We will pursue a solution-based mindset, talk to relevant people and vow to have full transparency. In fact, just because we are elected, it does not mean we are not willing to step down if we are not achieving what we set out to accomplish. 

 Dedication: Integrity and tenacity are our core pillars. The CU student body needs to understand that we will stay dedicated and want to continue to speak to students even after we are elected. We will work to establish trust and transparency. 

Ballots will be sent through Buff Portal and email on Monday, November 1, 2022, at 8:00 am and will close on Friday, November 4, 2022, at 8:00 pm. You can find more information about the elections and the candidates themselves here.

Editor’s Note: Trent Devine, one of the Candidates running for Representative-at-Large under the Unity for All ticket is a staff writer for The Bold. Devine has refrained from covering CUSG and the election. The Bold and CUSG Election Commission is communicating and working together to ensure neutrality.