THE PREMISE:Daily News creates forum for campus.
The opinion page of the newspaper is an open forum for discussion and the free discourse of ideas. The opinion page can also be used to inform the public about issues that are important to a community.
Beginning Monday, the student body will go to the polls to elect the next group of leaders to the Student Government Association. In order to provide readers with the information needed to make an educated decision when choosing the new SGA leaders, the Daily News will use this page for the next three days to give the slates a voice.
The Daily News has posed three questions on issues both slates think are important to the Ball State community. On this page you will see the responses from both Team Tolu and the Malloy slate on these issues.
SGA elections begin Monday morning at 7:45 and end Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. Voting will be done via the Internet at www.bsu.edu/votebsu.
The Daily News will provide coverage of the debates and campaign news until a winner is declared Tuesday night. Our weekly columnists will return on Tuesday.
OPIONION OF THE SLATE
MALLOY SLATE: Relationship is all about balance. I believe the most ideal relationship between the University Police Department and the Ball State community should be one of balance.
I feel it is important to look at every situation on a case-by-case basis, so every encounter with UPD can and should be evaluated a little differently then the one before.
UPD has an obligation to keep Ball State students safe. Safety on campus will work most effectively when a healthy relationship is fostered between both students and the police.
In light of recent events concerning the police department, we believe the university is starting to hold UPD accountable for the safety of the Ball State community.
If we are elected, we ask the student body and the Daily News hold us accountable for our actions the same way the university is starting to hold UPD responsible for its own actions.
TEAM TOULU: Being proactive is key to efficiency. The recent occurrences in the University Police Department have been very unfortunate and have adversely challenged the integrity of the department.
If elected, Team Tolu is committed to working with Dr. Brownell and his senior staff to ensure justice is done and that the students' interest remains in the forefront.
Team Tolu aspires to initiate an avenue to review student evaluations and complaints of the Ball State police officers, which we hope to objectively consider on a regular basis with the Student Affairs office. This is something that can be expanded as an added duty to the existing Ball State Judicial Court, the interpretive body of Student Government Association.
Another option is to regularly sit in on the meetings UPD currently has with the Public Safety Advisory Group. Team Tolu wants to be proactive in addressing possible allegations and concerns before they escalate.
An amendment could possible modify existing policy to allow the SGA president to serve as an official voting, representative at these meetings.
Currently, SGA is not represented in this advisory group. As is evident, Team Tolu understands the value of UPD, while recognizing students' needs are of the utmost importance. We want to work with all involved parties, including UPD, the Brownell administration and SGA to ensure the resolutions adopted effectively address the problems, while focusing on the effects each will have on Ball State's largest constituency- the students.
YOUR VIEW -- STUDENTS GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON UPD
"I definitely see them as an authority. I see them for a safe-haven as well to help for whatever students may need."
Quincy Smith, freshman
"They have to keep us safe. A lot can happen when people go away to school to a new city. They need to make the students feel safe."
Alyssa Friedman, sophomore
"They should be more accessible to students, especially with all the negative press they've been having lately."
Andy Pollen, sophomore
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