Candidates, audience spar at debate
Some students at the debate threatened to boycott the MSA election.
Published Nov. 10, 2006
In the fourth and final debate of the Missouri Students Association election, the two remaining slates addressed issues of minority representation in MSA and diversity issues in the candidates' platforms. The debate was co-sponsored by The Maneater and Four Front.
The debate, held Thursday evening in Brady Commons, packed a meeting room and left many audience members without a seat.
The two slates still eligible for election are Corey Gibson and Chelsea Johnson and Rachel Anderson and Andrew Cafourek.
The debate was divided into three half-hour segments and was moderated by Four Front Co-chairwomen Afton Anderson and Bria Scudder and The Maneater News Editor Vinti Singh. In the first segment, the moderators asked questions directed at both slates. In the second part, the moderators alternated between slates, asking each an individual question. In the final half-hour, audience members were allowed to ask questions.
Candidates faced questions regarding their past involvement in minority organizations, their policies and their intent to meet with these organizations during their potential term as president.
Both slates said they support the implementation of the Hate Report as a means of reporting hate crimes and hateful speech around campus and stressed communication and education in ensuring its use as a measure of hate on campus.
The candidates unanimously supported Phi Beta Sigma fraternity initiative to make condoms available in residence halls.
"I think it does help diversify campus, and I think that we need to work on diversifying our campus as much as we can," Gibson said.
Anderson said she supported affirmative action, though first stated she did not have a stance. She said she did not want to associate her opinion with the university.
The slates came under fire for the lack of ethnic diversity in their platforms. Gibson, Johnson and Cafourek agreed that they did not have experience as a member of a minority, but that they hoped to gain understanding by talking to those who experience it.
Anderson at first shared the others' sentiment, but later reversed her statement and said she transferred to a high school where she was in the minority. Anderson then said she felt she was being unfairly attacked during the debate, lost her composure and left the room for a few moments. Cafourek stepped in to finish the slate's response.
A question regarding the minority community's apathy and mistrust of MSA was met with applause from the audience. Some audience members suggested that many people would refuse to vote in the election as a show of no confidence, prompting pleas from the candidates for students to vote.
"If you don't vote, your input is not heard," Cafourek said. "Your input is not counted when you tally the ballot. If you don't vote, you cannot say that your voice isn't heard because you are not actively participating in what the MSA does."
Audience members criticized both slates and asked why neither had attended a Legion of Black Collegians or Triangle Coalition meeting. All candidates agreed, but Gibson and Johnson said they had attempted to contact the organizations.
Anderson said she had been involved in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community through other venues, including a discussion on how tobacco companies target homosexuals and transsexuals. Anderson also said she owns a Mizzou Pride T-shirt, which represents the LGBT students at MU.
Members of the audience had varied opinions about the winner of the election.
"I'm going to have to favor Anderson and Cafourek," freshman Ilana Weiss said. "I think they did the best job answering the questions from how they feel."
Freshman Blake Harris said Anderson's show of emotion during the debate caused him to favor Gibson and Johnson.
"As soon as you see she is not emotionally sound, she is not fit to lead," he said.
Students can begin voting in the election online at 6 p.m. Monday.