Though the second Student Government Association debate Monday night was less vague than the first, it was mostly due to student perseverance with specificity.
Every SGA candidate had a chance to speak to a crowd of about 100 students in the Commons meeting room.
Organized as a collaborative effort with Residential Housing Association, this debate gave students more of an opportunity to directly ask each candidate questions they were not able to ask at the previous debate.
The main difference between the first and second debate was the accountability students held on the candidates when asking questions.
Students who asked for specifics plans, had to repeat their question until candidates began to give a clearer outline of how they intended to achieve their goals.
One student from the audience asked how the candidates planned to attract student attention, given that many students do not know about SGA or other events on campus.
SGA President candidate Christian Hill said that what the SGA is currently doing is grabbing the attention of students.
His opponent, George Avery, said he supported what the current SGA was doing but for this next group to be successful they had to build upon the work that is currently being done.
For the presidential and executive vice presidential debate, students quickly lined up to ask their questions, though the line had to be partially cut because of time constraints.
One of the last questions of the night inquired where the candidates obtained their information. He noted that a lot of what they said was contradictory.
“One of you says we can, the other says we cant. Where are you getting your information?” the student asked.
Andrew Whyte, candidate for SGA president, said that he obtained all of his information “directly from the sources.”
He said he got his information from the university, not the student media outlets.
Hill said he received his information from university officials because of his position on multiple committees.
Overall students seemed more satisfied with the answers than in the previous debate–though most of it was due to their own persistence.
“The candidates seemed better prepared this time,” Sophomore Aneisha Jacobs said. “Last time, I don’t think they knew how hard the questions were going to be or how much we actually wanted to know.”
Students can now vote by going to gsu.edu/sga. Voting ends on April 5.
