Candidates for facilities and athletics address issues: George Vlahakos

Touting his experience both on and off campus, Trinity sophomore George Vlahakos hopes to realize his goals for improving University facilities by winning the office of Duke Student Government vice president for facilities and athletics.

"Not only have I been on DSG before, but I have had real world experience," said Vlahakos, who said he has managed several small shopping centers in Houston, a job through which he dealt with the management of facilities.

This experience, Vlahakos said, will help him to foster student-faculty interaction and to improve campus life. Serving this year as a member of the Community Interaction Committee and as a DSG West Campus legislator, Vlahakos has participated in a number of campus projects that led him to see the need for cooperation between facilities and the community.

"I feel that students should get the most bang for their buck," he said.

Vlahakos said he also wishes to further improvements made by Trinity junior Jamin Dixon, the current vice president for facilities and athletics, on campus safety issues, including adding more lighting and emergency phones.

In addition to safety issues, Vlahakos stressed the need for equality among all campus facilities, such as having the same number of laundry and vending machines in each quad. He said he would also like to encourage the opening of the proposed recreational center on West Campus and the improvement of campus quads so that they can be used for student activities.

Vlahakos also said he has been no stranger to issues of fund raising and facilities planning.

"It is in my nature," he said. "I was a member in the United Way Kids Way Gulf Coast Board. We looked at facilities of different philanthropic organizations and ways to improve their facilities. We had to decide which organizations needed the most funding. This position is similar to that. It is looking at problems with facilities, finding a solution, and getting funding for it."