The first of two Ball State University Student Government Association election debates was marked by agreement on three main topics - the Multicultural Center, slate workloads and student, administrator and Muncie relations.
The Presidential/Vice Presidential Debate on Monday night included the two top members of each slate, while the Slate Debate at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday will include all members.
Participants talked about platforms and why their effectiveness as leaders. The Multicultural Center came up several times. Both U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative and Vote Bare said they wanted to find a place outside of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
"A lot of what they loved about the Multicultural Center was the homey feel, and they felt moving it to the Student Center and putting it in an office, it would really lose that," Matt Bare, presidential candidate for Vote Bare, said.
Jamie Manuel, vice presidential candidate for U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative, said the Multicultural Center needed to be a stand-alone facility to fulfill student wishes, and needed to be more welcoming to diverse students than it is now.
"From what I have learned from Jess [Tindal, candidate for secretary] and Zac [Davis, candidate for treasurer] is that diversity and multiculturalism isn't a race or a gender or anything," he said. "We are all diverse; we are multicultural and this center should be open to everyone."
Moving the Multicultural Center is not a platform issue for either slate. According to each slate's Web site, Vote Bare has approximately 13 issues and U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative has 12 specific points and additional informal points. Slates also discussed continuing work already in progress in SGA.
Betsy Mills, presidential candidate for U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative, said it has been working on platform issues since October. She also said that as SGA Senate president pro-tempore she is in a good position to continue projects SGA is working on, such as the Atrium news ticker.
"We are still working out the kinks," she said. "Whoever enters office will have to pick up where they left off, and U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative is certainly ready for this. I've already been to meetings."
Bare said his being a member of the Muncie Mayor's Commission gives Vote Bare a good starting ground, as well as continuing what SGA is doing. Several times he said Vote Bare had already begun work on projects.
"When looking at platform issues we have to understand what can be accomplished and what can't be accomplished," he said. "Student Government Association can accomplish none of these issues on our own ... We're not in office yet. We aren't getting our paychecks yet. Yes, we get paychecks. But we are already working on things."
Both slates agreed students, administrators and Muncie officials need to work together, and SGA is a natural liaison. Student voices need to be heard, and Caleb Boucher, vice presidential candidate for Vote Bare, said the student soapbox platform is important for that process.
"We are not just here for what we want to do but for what the student body wants," he said. "'Cause without the student body we wouldn't have Ball State University. So what we want to do is get the student voice heard so better things can happen."
Getting the student voice heard is important, Mills and Manuel agreed, and Mills said it needs to be heard all around campus and the Muncie community so there can be full-cooperation and projects can be started and completed.
"Students don't feel connected to Student Government," Mills said. "Student Government Association doesn't feel connected to the administration or Muncie community. Ball State students certainly don't feel connected to the community and I'm sure the administration is just shaking their head at all the madness."
SGA Treasurer John Boone said the slates behaved very well during the debates and didn't attack each other's issues or candidates. Last year was heated, with supporters and members criticizing the competition.
"Compared to last year, this was very civilized," he said. "They were independently answering questions, using points from their own platforms that answered issues."
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