Last week, it looked as though Mike Pernick ’10 had the race for president of the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) locked up. “Vote Pernick” signs, Facebook groups, Wespeaks and even websites (www.wsaprogress.com) were hard to miss, and it appeared that the WSA was heading toward another uncontested election. Then on Friday, moments before the five o’clock deadline for submitting candidate applications, Chris Goy ’09 announced his campaign and filed papers for his own candidacy.

“I wasn’t expecting Chris to run,” Pernick said. “He had told me he wasn’t interested.”

Goy said that he waited in order to consult with close friends and family on the decision to run.

“I am proud that Wesleyan students now have a choice in electing their WSA President,” he wrote in an e-mail. “From two years on the WSA, to a year-long term as president of the Wesleyan Democrats, I have championed the concerns of students through a number of channels. As a senior, I can build upon the work that current and past generations of Wesleyan student leaders have accomplished.”

Now, with voting open on the WSA’s website and the polls set to close by midnight on Friday, Pernick and Goy are busy demarcating differences between their respective experiences and philosophies. In interviews over the weekend and in a public debate on Monday, the two outlined similar critiques of the University and the WSA’s problems, offered contrasting approaches to solve the issues, and butted heads over their respective roles regarding the controversial installation of cameras on campus this year.

Pernick, who currently chairs the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) of the WSA, includes in his campaign a list of causes that he has championed—setting up a Fire Safety appeals board, voting down a policy that would have restricted woodframe parties, and passing a resolution against the proposed Army base in Middletown, among others. His numerous dealings with administrators, he argues, give him the ability to lead an elected body that is more confrontational with North College.

“The most important step is that we lose the fear of standing up to administrators on issues,” Pernick said, noting that oftentimes WSA representatives do not confront administrators in order to maintain good relations with them. “We have to do our part by actually speaking out in the meetings and not compromising half way.”

Goy said that he is focused on the interaction between the WSA and the student body. As a Student Budget Committee (SBC) member and former president of Psi Upsilon and the Wesleyan Democrats, Goy thinks that the WSA can be geared more towards modifying the student social experience.

“I would urge you to avoid voting for someone just because they have connections to North College,” Goy said. “I bring a lot more to the table than just knowing administrators. I think it’s important that student leaders are approachable. At other schools, the WSA is responsible for throwing social events on campus. Shouldn’t we be responsible for more than just meeting with administrators?”

Responding to a question about diversity during the debate, Goy said that focusing on the student social experience is an important way to unite different communities on campus.

Pernick spoke to relations between the student government and the student body, as well as relations with the administration.

“As president, it’s not my job to decide what the student body wants,” he said. “I’m going to be a facilitator for different people to come together.”

Pernick went further, criticizing what he sees as the crux of Goy’s argument.

“You said that you have a large social network,” Pernick said, addressing Goy at the debate. “I do, too, but that’s not what you should vote on.”

Goy did not hold back on the criticism, either. One of the hallmarks of his young campaign has been the issue of the new Public Safety (PSafe) camera policy, which he has brought up in campaign posters, in interviews, and in yesterday’s debate. The policy, which has been ironed out in recent weeks under the auspices of Pernick’s committee, has several stipulations: students must approve every new camera site, camera footage cannot be used for minor violations of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct and the policy must be re-evaluated every year by students. Notably, however, to Goy, there is an exception, wherein Vice President of Student Affairs Mike Whaley can approve the use of camera footage that captures students in order to aid PSafe investigations. Goy thinks, such concessions are an indication of a “reactive”—as opposed to “proactive”—student assembly.

“What disappointed me about the decision to install campus-wide security cameras was the lack of transparency,” Goy said. “Most students weren’t really made aware exactly of what was happening. I think there were certain assumptions by certain members of the WSA that, because they were elected, they know what’s best for people. I don’t operate under that assumption.” According to Pernick, however, Director of Public Safety Dave Meyer was hesitant to allow any restrictions on the use of the footage in the first place. The fact that there were any concessions made regarding the cameras, he said, is a feat.

“The cameras were going to happen no matter what,” Pernick said. “It was an institutional decision, and we had to decide either to have no restrictions on PSafe—that was the language—no student approval for new locations, no mandated review of any changes to the policy, or to have a policy that respected student privacy.”

Pernick noted that he and Goy sat together on the Undergraduate Residential Life Committee (URLC) last year, which initially heard the camera proposal.

“Frankly, I’m surprised Chris has been criticizing me for my role regarding the cameras, after being so silent on the issue before he decided to run for president,” Pernick said. “Chris knows the decision to purchase the cameras was out of my hands this year. I voiced my concerns [on the URLC], but Chris said nothing. Chris has had many opportunities to speak up and influence the outcome. I’m disappointed he didn’t help me out by using them.”

As of now, most WSA members are trying to stay out of the fray. Current WSA President Matt Ball ’08 was no exception in his refusal to endorse either candidate. However, he did offer general hopes for the leader of next year’s assembly.

“I would hope that the president is someone people can connect to,” Ball said. “But, look, people are dissatisfied by the WSA and, though I don’t think it’s possible to immediately change that, I think we can work toward that by getting things done.”

At the debate, Goy noted that Pernick’s campaign has focused on his individual accomplishments.

“You’ll see one thing that is different between us if you look at Mike’s flyer, which you’ll see has a lot of things that he’s accomplished,” Goy said. “I’ve been part of a lot of things, but I don’t take credit for it.”

Ultimately, Pernick said, it comes down to a matter of clear objectives and accomplishments.

“What [Goy] says is not very specific,” he said. “I can give very specific proposals. He’s a very good talker, but with me it’s not just talk.”