Student Government presidential candidate Zachary Lancet’s campaign promise to improve the Student Health Center might become a necessity if he gets his way.
Lancet is also calling for AU to sell cigarettes in the Eagle’s Nest.
SG presidential hopefuls outlined why they would be the best choice for AU’s next student leader on the live Presidential Debate hosted by ATV.
Two main camps emerged from the debate: one that was heavily involved in SG and had related experience, and another that emphasized their lack of involvement in the past as an advantage.
Lancet made it very clear that he “will be an anti-establishment president,” claiming he did not want the backing of current SG President Nate Bronstein.
“I’m not interested in an endorsement from a president who prances around in a cape,” he said.
Ibraheem Samirah advocated for AU Bookswap, a website that would allow AU students to trade books after each semester.
Anthony Dunham stressed his dedication to SG, saying he has spent his entire AU career advocating for students, serving as chair of the Board of Elections, chair of the Judicial Board and president of the Residence Hall Association.
“I have the experience and the know-how,” Dunham said.
Tim McBride also emphasized his long commitment to SG, citing his involvement in the return of ROTC to campus, advocating for students on the academic regulations, the Diversity Task Force and other SG initiatives.
Joe Schulte called for more communication between SG officials and the student body, citing a disconnect between the two groups.
“It needs to be a massive conversation,” Schulte said. Jessica Darmawan proposed a campus-wide survey to gauge what students want from the SG.
“I want to increase that awareness for students,” Darmawan said.
The moderators asked questions in attempts to differentiate candidates at this year’s debate, since there was disappointment after last year’s when all of the candidate’s answers were too similar, according to moderator Ryan Hunter.
Twitter activity during the debate, utilizing the hashtag #SGDebate, became a trending topic in the D.C. area, according to a tweet from Secretary of SG Kent Hiebel.
There were some technical glitches that caused the first 20 minutes of the debate not be streamed online, according to Information Technology Director of ATV Douglas Bell.
zcohen@theeagleonline.com