The Student Government Association debates Tuesday night may not have had as much fire as those between then-presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush, but they still provided the opportunity for students to hear the three tickets’ promises and platforms for next year.

The tickets include “Building a Legacy”, made up of Mike Cappel, Babette Thornton, Tricia Fechter, Pat Contreras and Brian Altenhofen; “The Next Step” ticket includes Chad Kreikemeier, Lubna Alam, Matt Love, Chris Avery and Monica Dickinson; and “Students First”, consisting of Jon “Blake” Moore, Jamie Dahm, Jonathan Waldron, Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam and Josh Carney.

One independent candidate, Ricardo Fernandez, is running for financial vice president.

The debate began with each candidate speaking about his or her personal goals and ended with approximately 20 minutes of questions given by the audience.

Senior Mike Cappel was the first presidential candidate to speak. He asked “not who will fix SGA? But which ticket will take you to new and greater heights?” Cappel said that he wants to alter the way student government approaches students, stating that his ticket knows the concerns of Saint Louis University students. “We eat res. hall food and spend hours searching the parking lots looking for that one last spot,” he said.

Sophomore Chad Kreikemeier spoke second. His platform is that he wants to bring student issues back to the forefront by building on work of past administrations. One of things he commented on was the student connection. He said that there is too much emphasis on bills, resolutions and parliamentary procedure. “These are things that distance the senate,” he said.

The third and final presidential candidate to speak was sophomore Blake Moore. He said he felt like a student on the outside looking in and saw no marked changes in student life. He highlighted problems with parking, housing and lines in the food courts. “The results are nearly non-existent,” Moore said. “I am not the insider candidate; I just know what needs to be done, and I will do it when I get there.”

All candidates support the raise in the student activity fee, currently at $19 per semester. Moore said that organizations are in a terrible need of funds, but graduate and commuter students don’t necessarily see the money put to use.

Cappel stressed the need to first pass a referendum to reapprove the original student activity fee and then pass another one for the increase.

“We need to establish this increase; we’re still way behind that of Wash. U. and other universities,” he said.

Kreikemeier has personally seen the need for the increase: “I’ve been at HOG meetings; we don’t have enough money for everybody.”

The candidates running for executive vice president, Lubna Alma, Jamie Dahm and Babette Thornton, got chances to speak, as well.

Alam, a sophomore, said that she wanted to make a brochure of St. Louis attractions to answer the perennial question: “What am I going to do this weekend?” She also said that she has attended the House of Governors and sees its need to be refocused. She presented ideas to extend both the SLU shuttle and flex point usage.

Dahm, a sophomore, stressed the idea that she wants to give each candidate a fair opportunity for a seat on the Senate. She said that she wants to make the HOG as powerful as the Senate by giving the HOG the duty of chartering student organizations.

Thornton, a junior, said one of her ideas was to give seminars on fund-raising to student organizations. Viewing the role of executive vice president in relation to the other positions, “We should be working hand-in-hand,” she said.

Academic vice president candidates were the next to speak. Trisha Fechter, Matt Love and Jonathan Waldron are the three contenders for this position.

The candidates for financial vice president spoke next. Chris Avery, Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam, Pat Contreras and Ricardo Fernandez are competing for the spot.

The final position to give speeches was for administrative vice president. Brian Altenhofen, Josh Carney and Monica Dickinson each discussed ways they thought suitable to improve the communication on the SGA.