Young Democrats offer no SBP endorsement

The Young Democrats voted not to endorse a candidate after the group held a student body president debate Monday night.

“We think it’s important that if we don’t believe a candidate should receive our endorsement, then they don’t receive our endorsement,” said Tony Liu, president of the Young Democrats.

All four candidates emphasized the need to promote unity in the student body.

During the debate, Houston Summers noted his involvement with the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

“I used this opportunity to really, I guess, cut off issues that were festering at Carolina,” he said. “A lot of siloing, a lot of miscommunication, a lack of communication.”

David Marsh discussed making UNC safer and more inclusive by strengthening the sexual assault policy and raising mental health awareness.

“My goal is to make Carolina a place where everyone has an equal educational opportunity, whether that be no matter what background you’re from or what walk of life you come from,” he said.

Tyler Jacon, another candidate, acknowledged the different values of student organizations on campus. While he praised this diversity, he said his platform is about middle-of-the-road solutions that will bring the student body together.

“It’s the people’s college, and affordability, accessibility and diversity are still valued,” he said. “I see that we’re divided more so than ever.”

Kathryn Walker said some of the biggest issues on campus are race relations and sexual assault.

“It’s time to have a leader who represents a different voice ... and make sure there are no voices slipping through the cracks,” she said.

Despite the group’s decision not to endorse anyone, Liu said it wanted students to take an active role in deciding who would represent them.

Sophomore Cole Simons, a self-described conservative who attended the debate, said the lack of endorsement was not the sign of strength students needed.

“They serve to further subvert our already precarious situation with the University, Board of Trustees and Board of Governors by not exhibiting confidence in our ability to choose a leader who can be an advocate for the student voice,” he said.

Still, some students in the audience remained unsure of what the candidates had to offer.

“After hearing that, I’m not really convinced of any one candidate’s ability to affect change on campus,” said freshman Philip Howard.

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