Last semester, junior Adam Katz spent the fall in New York City as an intern for NBC's Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, assisting the news program in election night coverage.
This semester, Katz is involved with an election of a different sort - Duke Student Government's presidential race - and this time he is a candidate.
Katz, who served as a DSG legislator on the Facilities and Athletics Committee and Student Organization Finance Committee during his freshman and sophomore years, hopes to bring student services back to the focus of the governing body.
"Right now, I feel [DSG] serves mostly in an advisory capacity to the administration," said Katz, a public policy studies major with a minor in political science and a markets and management studies certificate.
Katz, a native of Merrick, N.Y., envisions developing programs such as Princeton University's student discount system - where local vendors mark 10 to 15 percent off their prices for students showing school IDs. He would also like to promote current programs, such as the textbook exchange and the ride-sharing program, which now exists as a map outside the DSG office.
As president, Katz said he would also increase student input in DSG's decision-making, through a survey at the beginning of the school year as well as an e-mail account set up solely for the purpose of soliciting student input on issues such as head line monitor selection.
Another of Katz's top priorities is increasing alliances with other organizations, including institutional student services.
"I'd like to... increase the scope and power of [Counseling and Psychological Services] and the Career Services Center," he said, noting that many students do not take full advantage of the benefits they offer.
Katz also wants to increase campus-wide programming, which he said could be accomplished by working more closely with other student organizations.
"Right now, it seems like the only campus-wide activities we have are the bonfires and the Last Day of Classes [celebration], and we should have more than these.... DSG can help [other] organizations pick up," Katz said, noting that some events, such as Greek Week and community service activities, could receive more support by working with DSG.
Katz has experience in other student groups, such as Campus Council and the Duke University Union. He served as hospitality chair for the Union's Major Speakers Committee for two years and was also president of Camelot Dormitory House Council last year and a member of Randolph Dormitory House Council the year before.
"He is one of the most professional and organized people I know. He's a great brainstormer and motivator and has the ability to foster a sense of community," said junior Melissa Lentz, who worked with Katz on Camelot's house council. "He is dedicated to every endeavor he pursues and completes everything to the best of his abilities."
Although Katz does not plan to challenge Campus Council's authority on residential life issues - a battle the two student groups have fought in the past - he hopes to bring more of Campus Council's community atmosphere to DSG.
"Campus Council... stresses the ability to create community, which [DSG's] constituency system is supposed to do but doesn't foster as well," Katz said.
In addition, Katz said his participation with the Union gave him experience in working with administrators and programming.
"[Katz] was very responsible, and anything I would ask him to do he always did very well and very thoroughly. He was a good example for the people who hadn't been on the committee before," said junior Scott Rosenblum, chair of last year's Major Speakers Committee. However, Rosenblum noted the position Katz is now seeking in DSG is very different from the one he held at the Union.
Despite experience with several different student groups, Katz is choosing to devote his senior year to improving DSG's effectiveness. "I've devoted most of my time to DSG," he said. "It's what I enjoy the most, and where I feel I would be the most helpful.... DSG needs to focus on its ability to produce tangible results."
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