Whether Clifford Davison or Jacob Flomenberg is elected the next Duke Student Government vice president for facilities and athletics, the winner will face the perpetually demanding task of representing student opinion and invoking changes.
With the expansion of the Divinity School and Perkins Library, the construction of the Bryan Center parking deck and the opening of the West-Edens Link next year, the next vice president will need to involve himself in several crucial projects. This winner will also need to address the increasingly visible issue of campus safety.
"They will definitely have to continue a lot of work with safety, and perennially with parking issues," said sophomore Matt Slovik, current vice president for facilities and athletics.
Sue Wasiolek, assistant dean of student affairs, agreed safety is an important issue.
"Safety will continue to be an issue this year and for years to come. It needs to be a priority for us all the time," she said.
In addition to safety concerns on Central Campus and in the libraries, Davison, a sophomore biology major, said she would also focus on expanding arts facilities for undergraduates, making facilities compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and improving transportation and parking infrastructure. Davison added that he wants to streamline committee work.
"We have many overlapping projects and want collective progress. It's hard to get things done by yourself--that's why we need to push for collaboration," Davison said.
He attributed his desire to run to successfully leading the University's food drive and working with administration on transportation and parking issues.
"I would like to take student input and qualms and make recommendations to the administration. It's not that we don't have the power to change things--that's not true. We have the power to suggest," he said.
Sara Elrod, a fellow legislator on the facilities and athletics committee and newly elected young trustee, said leadership and organization was among Davison's strengths.
"Once Cliff commits to doing something, he always seems to do it well, and that is an important quality in any person, but particularly in a DSG vice president," she said.
In contrast to Davison's experience dealing largely with transportation, the second candidate, freshman Jake Flomenberg, said he wants to focus his efforts on improving athletics facilities. Flomenberg, who plans on triple-majoring in electrical engineering, computer science and economics, said he hopes to provide rugby posts and music in the Wilson Recreation Center, as well as upgrade equipment in Brodie Gym.
"I know people in [athletics], and it's more my strong point," Flomenberg said.
From his experience as Southgate Dormitory president, he said he feels that providing a student voice is essential. As Duke continually tries to improve facilities, Flomenberg said one of the reasons he is running is to advise the administration on their ideas.
"I would like to make people see the bigger picture that every little thing [they] do helps Duke in the long-run," he said.
Flomenberg added that he would also support additional measures to make students feel safer, such as security cameras and self-defense classes.
Michael Sapp, a Divinity School student and Southgate Area Coordinator, said Flomenberg was a creative leader adept at working with people.
"[Jake] is very good at delegating authority and then following up with people to make sure that they fulfill their responsibilities. And when unexpected problems arise, he has been able to come up with ways to solve [them]," Sapp said.
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