Who They Are
Student body presidential candidate James J. Ward, current junior class president, is an aerospace engineering major who lives in St. Edward's Hall. Vice presidential candidate and current freshman class president Heather Eaton lives in Cavanaugh Hall.
In Their Words
- Top Priority: Ward and Eaton plan to put in the framework for eventual tuition reform. "We want to release financial aid information and make everything fair," Ward said.
- First Priority: They plan to restore the price of quarter dogs to 25 cents and add more points to Grab n' Go.
In our words
- Best Idea: Addressing the campus drinking policy. Removing the policy against drinking and drinking games will keep students on campus, according to Ward and Eaton. The ban on drinking games isn't cutting down on binge drinking, Ward said, but instead drives students off campus.
- Worst Idea: Creating an off-campus crime database to track the safety of neighborhoods for current and potential residents. While parts of this plan are new, including landlord reviews, there is already a crime database in place.
- Most Feasible Idea: Creating a fall week to kick off the football season. Ward said a "Fall AnTostal," would hopefully be a joint effort between the Student Union Board and class councils.
- Least Feasible Idea: Working for the inclusion of sexual orientation in the nondiscrimination clause. Efforts to achieve this goal have been denied by the University administration for several years.
- Fun Facts: Eaton has double-jointed elbows. Ward was once a vegetarian, but then he rediscovered chicken.
- Notable Quote:"My brother is a sophomore in high school, and he's infinitely smarter than me. He wants to go here. I want to make sure he has an even better time here than I did." – Ward
Bottom Line
Ward and Eaton have a well-rounded platform, and their smaller, reachable goals are mixed in with lofty aspirations for the future of Notre Dame. While making student government more approachable is an admirable promise, the ticket lacks concrete plans for this lofty goal.
