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The candidates for ASUO Executive squared off Tuesday night in the first of two debates. Another debate between the Executive candidates who make it to the general election is scheduled for next week.
Alexandra Hepp and Jordan Lynn from the Elections Board moderated the debate, which lasted just over an hour and was attended by around 50 people. Candidates faced off on a variety of issues ranging from ASUO ethics reform to solutions to the Student Recreation Center funding problems.
Although they were debating issues that have been discussed heavily within the ASUO, most candidates agreed that they should reach out to students and encourage dialogue about issues important to average students, not just ASUO “insider” topics.
In response to a question regarding possible changes to the stipend model for student programs, Ty Schwoeffermann said while he would not treat the stipend as a salary, he wants to make sure the stipend goes to student leaders who put extra time and sometimes their own money into working for their programs.
Schwoeffermann said stipends need to be maintained for every program.
Chii-San SunOwen, who is running for ASUO Vice President, said stipends help relieve some of the financial burden on students and that she and running mate Emily McLain would not make changes to the model without engaging students in the dialogue.
“Emily and I support improving academic and overall quality on the campus. We do not plan on cutting the stipend model,” SunOwen said.
Athan Papailiou, who is running for vice president with Sara Hamilton, said part of the problem with the stipend model is there are no clear definitions of what programs and positions qualify for the “exceptions list.”
Papailiou said he and Hamilton will work with the Programs Finance Committee to develop clear definitions of when there can be stipend exceptions. He said it is “unacceptable” that some programs have stipends that exceed their allocations for programming money.
Several questions surrounded the issue of PFC reform and the problem of funding large departments, such as funding the rec center out of the incidental fee.
Jonathan Rosenberg, who is running for president, said he supports Senate Bill 28, which was passed in the Senate and would separate the rec center from the PFC process and create a separate fee.
Ted Niedermeyer said he does not support decentralization because he wants to have absolute power to have his will done at a moment’s notice.
The other candidates agreed that removing the rec center from the PFC process would be a good idea, but stressed the importance of retaining student control over the budget.
“The ASUO can not work on campus issues if they’re trying to micromanage every budget,” Hamilton said.
With two of the executive candidates running on slates – groups of students running for different positions within the ASUO who run on a common platform – much of the debate centered around “slate politics,” which some candidates said undermined the democratic process.
Rosenberg, who is heading up the “campus improvement” slate, said there is no difference between slates and political parties. He said students have voted for slates in the past and it is simply a way for students to know they are voting for candidates with similar plans and motivations.
Hamilton agreed and said the ASUO is moving toward “party politics.”
SunOwen and McLain, however, said they have never been associated with slates because they are simply a political ploy to get an executive candidate elected.
In response to questions about the incidental fee and other financial issues, several candidates said the root of the problem is the lack of higher education funding from the state.
Richard Nile referred several times to the problem of high tuition and said there is a real need to lobby the state to reduce tuition. He said if students start voting in higher numbers at all levels of politics, the government might pay attention to the need to fund higher education.
“It’s incredibly clear to the state legislature that there is apathy on campus,” he said. “If we don’t do something today to encourage voting it’s going to be the same story.”
Nile, along with Schwoeffermann, also discussed the need to increase awareness of diversity issues and to recruit and retain minority students.
Contact the campus and federal politics reporter at [email protected]