Last Thursday WHRW held debates in the Old University Union Hall, pitting Student Association Executive Board hopefuls against one another as they were quizzed on their platforms by station members Jenna Rosenberg and Robert Glass. While the event was sparsely attended, with approximately 15 students observing, the candidates spoke for nearly three hours about the issues. Below are a few highlights from each debate.

VP of Programming

How would you increase student input in programming events?

Aaron Butler: Wants to create a Web site that will have upcoming events, a message board, forums and a polling board

Dan Levin: Wants to create a Blackboard account that every Binghamton University student can join that will publish student events

VP for Academic Affairs

What will you do to help students improve their academic experience?

Hillary Kris: Wants to create a liaison between the VPAA and community governments because community governments have more contact with students than the SA

Peter Spaet: Wants to ensure professors do not have the ability to determine what a “passing” grade entails when students decide take a class with a pass/fail option

VP of Multicultural Affairs

What kind of programs would you like to spearhead as VPMA?

Maryam Belly: Wants to implement a multicultural fashion show to give people an in-depth view of campus cultures, continue cultural banquets and create programs that bridge the gap between cultural groups and campus

Karina Jimenez: Wants to forge relationships between cultural group E-Boards and community E-Boards to spread information, increase cultural group tabling in the New University Union, hold forums for international students and continue multicultural banquets

Randy Meyer: Wants to continue multicultural dinners, create multicultural sporting events and have every community create a multicultural VP

Executive VP

How are you going to help improve student relations with the SA?

Boris Tadchiev: Wants to strengthen the Student Group Council and require that every member of the SA E-Board attend SGC meetings

Teresa Florindi: Wants to make SA E-Board members more accessible to students and encourage them to participate in student groups

VP for Finance

Jon Alter used the forum to withdraw from the race. Alice Liou, however, stayed to answer questions

Do you have plans to improve the budgeting process?

Liou: Wants to create times when student groups meet with the SA E-Board members and improve communication with groups through e-mail and personal contact

President

President DeFleur is known to be inaccessible to students, as president of the SA do you see this as a problem and how do you change this?

Matt Landau: Wants to continue Town Hall forums and invite President DeFleur, and better advertise the open office hours she holds so students know when they can meet with her

Robert Menje: Does not believe President DeFleur exists, but suggests “keying her car and slashing her tires” so she won’t be able to leave and will be forced to meet with students