2010 SGA Presidential Debate Liveblog

8:58 p.m.

Hello and welcome to The Stute liveblog of the 2010 SGA Presidential Debate. Kidde 228 is slowly filling with spectators, preparing for the beginning of the SGA Presidential debate. While rumors have swirled as to the number of tickets, with the number rising as high as six different tickets, tonight there are only three tickets. A ticket consists of a Presidential and a Vice Presidential candidate.

The debate is scheduled to go for one hour and thirty minutes and The Stute will be bringing you every exciting moment of Stevens' democracy.9:00 p.m.

Dean of Student Life Ken Nilsen is the moderator for tonight's debate. The tickets are:

Stephanie Spelman (P) and Kendra Appleheimer (VP)

Sean Coyle (P) and Josh Skole (VP)

Andrew Bentz (P) and Megan Fix (VP)

Each ticket will be allowed a three-minute opener at the start of the debate. For each question, every ticket will have a two-minute response time, followed by an extra 30 seconds after all of the tickets have answered.

9:05 p.m.

Current SGA president, Abel Alvarez, is meeting with the tickets to draw for the order of opening remarks. The order will be:

Coyle/Skole

Bentz/Fix

Spelman/Appleheimer

9:10 p.m.

Opening remarks by Alvarez, who is reviewing the format of the debate. Nilsen will ask all questions and each ticket will have a two-minute closing opportunity.

9:12 p.m.

Nilsen opens with a review of the tickets and their majors, now begins with "What are some of your goals if you were elected?"

Coyle/Skole feel there is a problem right now with integrity. They claim not everyone comes to all of the meetings and that's not the point, the SGA should be putting *you* first. There's also been an issue with precedence (example: the funding tee shirt issue) and there should be fairness with all RSOs and not "special treatment. Also, discussion that the CCSI should not be dictating budgets.

Bentz: Campus beautification is important, as well as "campus safety" and he points to "safety walks" as an example. The perpetual recycling issue is brought up.

Bentz is also concerned with the conflict between helping established RSOs "flourish" versus helping new ones begin. They also feel that the "fiscal responsibility" needs to be "controlled more rigidly."

Spelman: Weekly updates between the RSOs and the SGA are important to help expose RSOs and their activities. Also discussion about committee heads actually attending the events of their clubs. "School spirit" is also a point, and Spelman points to her experience with the Founder's Day event.

9:16 p.m.

Whoo hoo! Spelman mentioned weekly updates to the Stute!

Now, the prepared opening statements of the tickets.

The first surprise of the evening: the Coyle/Skole ticket references the absence of "Hal" in their opening remarks, alongside the traditional kow-towing to the outgoing SGA administration.

9:24 p.m.

Nilsen asks, "How do you propose to increase awareness and student participation in the SGA?"

Skole opens and points to his election as VP as a clear sign that the SGA "is not some elite organization." Coyle follows that with "We are not so much leaders, as we are ready to lead."

Bentz: "The SGA is kind of hard for the average student to wrap their heads around." References to the obscurity of the Fielding Room, where SGA meetings are held, and points to options such as a Pierce comment box as ways to open up the SGA to the average students. Fix follows this comment box idea with a tabling format, where SGA members make themselves visible for student comment.

Spelman: Spelman favors "Polo Days," which are days where members of the SGA are instructed to wear their SGA polos with the goal of making them more visible to the students.

Spelman also talks about the committee members and making them more visible to everyone.

Woo-hoo! Another comment about weekly Stute reports! I approve of this idea, whichever ticket wants to use it! And now, Bentz and Fix are directing people to The Stute for their e-mail addresses.

9:30 p.m.

Nilsen asks, "What initiatives would you foster to promote more cohesion between students, faculty, administrators, and alumni?"

Coyle opens with a disagreement that the student body needs "uniting" and instead points to the "independent thinking" and "new ideas" fostered by the numerous student organizations. Skole points to the absence of visible faculty advisors in RSOs but has little to say on the topic of alumni.

Fix interprets Nilsen's question as an absence of students participating together in larger events, referencing Boken as a shining example of this RSO cohesion. "There are organizations where, if they combined their funding, could have great events."

Spelman: "A lot of people here think of themselves a just Greeks or athletes or the media...they don't say 'I'm a Stevens student first.' " "We need to have more fun on campus," she continues, and suggests a bowling event or "hot chocolate nights" or events such as Founder's Day. For alumni, Spelman points to the RSOs as the way to draw them in, especially younger alums.

9:35 p.m.

"What changes or additions would you make to SGA policy to improve and support RSOs?

Bentz: Mandatory RSO summits for student leaders, where there is "training" for them. Fix also encourages senators to attend RSO events, going as far as to say they should be "required" to attend. She also disparages the concept of the SGA as a bank.

Appleheimer: She points to her experience as chair of the Media board and how it aided her in making decisions about and aid to organizations. [disclosure: The Stute falls under the Media Board] Also discussion of "subcommittee break-out sessions" and RSO collaboration. Spelman follows up on this, saying she is already working on these goals, encouraging co-sponsorship of events with similar RSOs.