Editor’s note: The question the Clarion posed was, “Would you like Boone to be placed next to your information in this week’s insert on the election for the AUSA Senate?”
The current Senate Affairs Committee strongly encouraged candidates to not use Boone as a campaigning tool. Current senators, some candidates and other community members want to share their thoughts about this newspaper’s decision to ask candidates whether they support the former mascot as it relates to current elections.
John McMahon and Tess Cromer
Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Affairs Committee
We are disappointed in the Clarion’s decision to force the candidates for AUSA Senate into answering a question regarding Boone. Chancellor Coombe and this year’s Senate (2008-2009) have already made a decision regarding the official use of Boone. Consequently, next year’s Senate will have no influence on the future of Boone. Because of this, we believe that the sole purpose of the Clarion’s actions is to be divisive and controversial.
Furthermore, by focusing on the issue of Boone, the Clarion is minimizing the actual substantive issues over which next year’s Senate will be exercising control.
The role of a student newspaper should be to inform students about relevant and substantive issues and enable them to make educated decisions, not to divide them over an already decided issue.
Antoine Perretta and Jim Francescon
Candidates for AUSA President and Vice President
Denver Boone is representative of DU, more specifically of DU’s past. There is no question that students mobilize, on both sides when the issue of Denver Boone arises. What we are here to decide, however, is which candidate team is best representative of the undergraduate student body and who best be able to serve them. Perhaps today Denver Boone does not accurately represent the vast diversity of students that comprise of the undergraduate student body, but what we can and what we must acknowledge is that we are all Denver Pioneers.
We can all unite around that name, whether there is a physical manifestation of it or whether you determine a Pioneer truly is. We are all here at DU to learn, grow, mature and set the stage for the rest of our lives.
Remember that when you make your decision on who to vote for, not on their opinion of Boone. At least for the two tickets running for president and vice-president, there is no difference of opinion.
Javi Ogaz and Joel Portman
Candidates for AUSA President and Vice President
We have decided not to take a stance on Boone during AUSA Senate elections. In the fall, Chancellor Coombe and the AUSA Senate concluded that while Boone has been an important part of DU’s history, he will not be the university’s mascot in the future. Because this decision has already been made, printing or not printing Boone next to each of the candidates in the Clarion is irrelevant in these elections.
It is our hope that the student body will focus on relevant, substantive issues that we need to address as a university community going forward.
Dillon Doyle
Candidate for On-Campus Senator
First of all, it is not possible to explain my thoughts on Boone in less than 50 words, so I am instead going to complain that this question was even asked. First of all-sorry, out of words. Visit http://dillondoyle.com to read my response.
Erin hough
Candidate for Off-Campus Senator
Feeling about Boone: indifference.
