2008 Woodie Awards
USG hopefuls square off
By: Kristen Vasas
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Campus
Undergraduate Student Government presidential and vice presidential hopefuls were given their only chance to publicly debate campus issues last night before this year's election.
At the USG 2008 Debate last night, the candidates came prepared to discuss the issues important to them, but only around 15 students were there to listen - including members of USG.
The four teams running for the positions discussed different ways to reach out to students, effectively communicate USG policies and make changes both on and off campus.
The teams, which include John Waynick and Sundeep Mutgi; Jeremy Lehman and Leo Almeida; Jarell Potts and Sarah Shepard; and Jake Gallardo and Sean Crisafi, began the debate by answering questions from USG Chief Administrator Ashley Douglas.
The biggest concerns brought up by the running teams were what the individuals felt were the most pressing issues facing USG next year.
For Waynick and Mutgi, creating a student bill of rights is the primary concern.
By creating a student bill of rights, more power would be given to USG in order to better represent the students, Waynick said.
"For example, during the rollover scandal, USG was only given two weeks to make a decision, which is not enough time and completely unfair," Waynick said. "With a student bill of rights, we would be able to ensure that things like that would not happen."
The team would work over the summer to get the framework down and then would give students the opportunity to add their views when they come back to campus in the fall.
But for Lehman and Almeida, the biggest concern is students' money. According to the running mates, Ohio will be facing a budget year next year. And though the legislature will be discussing what organizations will be receiving money, academics are rarely paid attention to, Lehman said.
However, Alemeida and Lehman plan on changing the lack of money given to academics by actually going to Ohio legislatures offices during the spring and the summer if elected.
At the USG 2008 Debate last night, the candidates came prepared to discuss the issues important to them, but only around 15 students were there to listen - including members of USG.
The four teams running for the positions discussed different ways to reach out to students, effectively communicate USG policies and make changes both on and off campus.
The teams, which include John Waynick and Sundeep Mutgi; Jeremy Lehman and Leo Almeida; Jarell Potts and Sarah Shepard; and Jake Gallardo and Sean Crisafi, began the debate by answering questions from USG Chief Administrator Ashley Douglas.
The biggest concerns brought up by the running teams were what the individuals felt were the most pressing issues facing USG next year.
For Waynick and Mutgi, creating a student bill of rights is the primary concern.
By creating a student bill of rights, more power would be given to USG in order to better represent the students, Waynick said.
"For example, during the rollover scandal, USG was only given two weeks to make a decision, which is not enough time and completely unfair," Waynick said. "With a student bill of rights, we would be able to ensure that things like that would not happen."
The team would work over the summer to get the framework down and then would give students the opportunity to add their views when they come back to campus in the fall.
But for Lehman and Almeida, the biggest concern is students' money. According to the running mates, Ohio will be facing a budget year next year. And though the legislature will be discussing what organizations will be receiving money, academics are rarely paid attention to, Lehman said.
However, Alemeida and Lehman plan on changing the lack of money given to academics by actually going to Ohio legislatures offices during the spring and the summer if elected.
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