Candidates for University Center for Freshman Year positions spoke heavily about campus safety and counselor availability at Tuesday’s debate. A crowd of about 40 met to question UCFY candidates in the last debate before Student Government elections today. Brent Benoit, UCFY presidential candidate for the Dixon-Oaks ticket, said he wants students to know he has already talked to UCFY administrators about putting his plans into action. Benoit said one initiative on his ticket is to make UCFY counselors available to students on weekends. “A lot of students don’t have time to go during the day,” Benoit said. Ifti Rouf, Robertson-Bates UCFY presidential candidate, said he wants counselors to be trained to help students get into their senior colleges as soon as possible. Rouf said he had a problem with a UCFY counselor who misled him by telling him there was no application process for the E.J. Ourso College of Business. “We need to get ready for the incoming freshmen,” Rouf said. “We have to be prepared for thousands of new students.” Sarah Lockwood, Dixon-Oaks senate candidate, said while safety is important, her top priority is making competent counselors available to students. “We’re going to be able to steer freshmen in the right direction,” Boustany said. When asked which initiatives on the Dixon-Oaks ticket are most important to UCFY, Melissa Hart said improving the priority points system and making counselors available on weekends. Phoebe Hathorn, Robertson-Bates senate candidate, said her most important initiatives are extending library and dining hall hours and allowing roll-over Ws for students who do not use them their freshman year. Hathorn said she would approach students to improve student input. The Foundation plans to encourage professors to use the same edition of a textbook for at least five to eight years to alleviate students’ financial burden, Rouf said.
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