Duke Student Government is gearing up for another round of debate on ARAMARK after last week's veto of a resolution supporting the company's proposed management of four campus eateries.
The veto by DSG President Jordan Bazinsky is the first since former president Lino Marrero, Trinity '98, used that power three years ago.
Unlike Marrero, Bazinsky based his decision on a desire for more debate rather than dislike for the legislation.
"Typically, vetoes are done strictly on an ideological basis, because a president wants to strike down legislation that he disagrees with for political reasons," said Bazinsky, a senior. "It was really clear to the people there the other night that we didn't make a real decision." The resolution passed the Legislature 24-23, after DSG Executive Vice President Drew Ensign cast the tie-breaking vote.
Legislators expressed surprise at Bazinsky's veto, and DSG Vice President for Community Interaction Sean Young said he was disappointed. "I personally believe that DSG legislators had enough time to educate themselves on the issue and to ask their constituents' opinions," said Young, a junior. "A veto should be used when a president disagrees with a resolution."
Bazinsky has charged legislators to talk to constituents and each other in preparation for the next DSG Legislature meeting Wednesday.
"I was surprised with the veto, but I agree that there should be a strong mandate for ARAMARK to come," said junior Jason Freedman, chair of the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee. "I will make the effort to make sure that [legislators] are informed enough to vote. I believe it's always a good process to allow information to be distributed and allow opinions to be solicited."
Until Wednesday's meeting, Freedman plans to further encourage debate through advertisements, flyers and a student forum Tuesday night. Specifically, Freedman said he wants to gather input, clarify that Trinity Cafe will continue to be student-run and reiterate that Dining Services will have the final say in all decisions.
By resubmitting the resolution to the legislature, Freedman will avoid the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto and instead will need just a simple majority to pass the measure. Bazinsky added that as long as the resolution is altered, he would not view Freedman as undermining his veto.
Several legislators suggested last week that a student referendum would provide a better measure for deciding whether to allow ARAMARK on campus. But Bazinsky, Freedman and others suggested that the amount of time invested in the issue by DSG could not be duplicated by the student body.
"I think there's been a lot of debate, and a lot of people have come to talk in open forum," Bazinsky said. "I think the next week will really serve as an opportunity to have more discussion and thought about the issues here."
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