Candidates spar in first MSA debate

Slates also questioned each other's experience.

By Megan Stroup

Published Oct. 28, 2008

Correction appended

Candidates sparred in the first Missouri Students Association presidential debate Monday night, sponsored by the Board of Elections Commissioners.

Cathy Scroggs, the vice chancellor for Student Affairs, served as the moderator and asked the three slates questions previously submitted by the BEC and other students. Audience members also had the opportunity to submit additional questions during the debate.

The format of the debate gave candidates the chance to rebut their opponents' arguments. Each of the slates used this opportunity to question statements that they disagreed with or found ineffective.

After discussing their positions on sustainability, presidential candidate Joe Fessehaye questioned the convenience to students of Jordan Paul and Colleen Hoffmann's plan for trayless dining.

Paul responded that trayless dining has been put into effect at a number of universities already, and no complaints have been made.

"It's really just a psychological thing," Paul said, adding that students would never even know there used to be trays if the plan went into effect next fall.

But students at Ohio University and Middlebury College in Vermont resisted the change, according to FoodService Director magazine.

Fessehaye continued his debate by asking about students who take more than one plate of food in the dining halls. Paul explained that his plan would include 10-20 trays in each hall for those students who need them.

A disagreement also arose over a question about the diversity fee. Scroggs asked the candidates if they thought more organizations should benefit from the diversity fee placed in effect last year.

Presidential candidate Phyllis Williams said she thinks the diversity fee has played out as intended, and suggested looking into a new fee to support international diversity.

Paul said the diversity fee fund has enough money to go to international groups, too.

"I think the diversity fee is capable of handling other organizations that are more international in nature," Paul said.

Williams rebutted that MSA had a $40,000 carryover last year in their budget.

"Do we give that to international students?" she asked Paul.

Williams argued that just because international students aren't spending money simply for the sake of spending it, that doesn't mean they don't deserve more funds.

Paul said the surplus money in MSA's budget was allotted to MSA, not diversity organizations. Williams said she didn't agree that MSA funds were intended for non-diverse students, but Paul maintained that the problem could be solved within the context of the diversity fee right now.

Another major discrepancy between the candidates arose while the slates were discussing what differentiates them from the other candidates.

Fessehaye and his running mate, Lindsey Abell, and Paul and his running mate, Colleen Hoffmann, cited their use of an official platform in their campaign as a major difference between them and Williams and Jonathan Snipes. But vice presidential candidate Snipes focused on the financial experience of the other vice presidential hopefuls.

Snipes said Abell had little, if any, experience with finances and though he said Hoffmann had some, Snipes said he still had more experience with finance.

"Each have their own little opinion of what they can contribute," Snipes said. "But I don't know. I'm just a realist. That's just me."

During her closing statement, Abell said, "Just because I don't have previous experience working with finances doesn't mean I'm incompetent or not willing to learn."

She said everyone is running for a position they've never been in before, so the job of vice president is a learning experience for each candidate.

The MSA elections are from Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. to Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. online.

The BEC sent out test voting links in an attempt to correct issues that arose with the voting system during Senate elections last year. The first tests showed a problem with the link in the e-mail, as students had to physically copy the link into their browser for it to work. BEC Chairman Justin Mohn said they are working with the Division of Information Technology to resolve the issue. Mohn formerly worked for The Maneater.