The two candidates for the Student Government Association presidency met for their first and only debate on Tuesday evening. In a 35-minute contest in the St. Louis Room of the Busch Student Center, hopefuls Michael Harriss and Brian Hackworth Jr. clashed over their competing visions for Saint Louis University’s future.

Approximately 80 people were in attendance, mostly black-clad supporters of Hackworth’s The Remedy ticket or red-clad supporters of Harriss’ The Next Step.

In his opening remarks, Hackworth said that he had two primary objectives for the next academic year: fostering Billiken sports traditions and restructuring SGA to increase efficiency. After discussing his experiences as an Eagle Scout and reciting the Scout’s Law, Hackowrth proposed his own 12-point Billiken Law. It called students to be, among other things, “dignified, intelligent, helpful . honorable [and] spiritual.”

“The president of student government must fulfill the role in the likeness of the Billiken,” Hackworth said.

Harriss countered by saying that he and his ticket were “not looking for a revolution” and said they would bring changes to SLU that would “affect everyone, not just SGA.” He described a number of his policy goals, including securing a 24-hour library, “empowering” students to evaluate academic advisers and faculty mentors as well as professors and preparing SLU for next year’s closure of the Grand Boulevard bridge.

“There is no reason to fix a system that isn’t broken,” Harriss said in response to Hackworth’s plan to restructure SGA. “I’m here because I’ve gathered a talented group of senators and executive board members under the
vision of The Next Step.”

Following their opening statements, each candidate answered questions posed by a three-person panel. Personally selected by Election Commissioner Mackenzie Burns, panelists were The University News Adviser Jason Young, Director of Student Life Donna Bess and International Student Federation President Réhan Refai, a senior in Parks College.

Refai asked each candidate what he would do in the interests of the University’s international students.

Harriss said that the “language barrier” was the major obstacle for fully integrating international students in campus life.

He suggested that the University expand Chinese-language class offerings and make more of an effort to acclimate international students to the University. He also proposed a “buddy system” that would pair an incoming international student with an American student to cultivate a “more welcoming environment” for them.

Hackworth said that he was concerned that many international students had poor housing situations.

“[Chinese] students want to be immersed in the student body, but they are placed with roommates who don’t care about them or who don’t want to give the time to adjust and work with someone who doesn’t speak English fully,” Hackworth said.

To correct this problem, he proposed assigning ESL students to rooms with other ESL students or American students who said they would be willing to help them.

In a follow-up question, Refai asked Harriss and Hackworth to explain their position on minority representation on SGA. On Jan. 28 the Senate had voted to remove the presidents of the Black Student Alliance and the International Student Association from the SGA Executive Board and to replace them with a vice president of diversity and social justice and a vice president of international affairs.

Harriss said that special concerns of minority groups would be best directed through SGA committees or senators.

“I have an unfair advantage over [Harriss] being an actual minority student,” Hackworth said in response.

Also mentioning the diversity of members of his executive board ticket, Hackworth said that his plan to restructure SGA would give minority groups more of a voice in the organization.

Harriss and Hackworth also fielded questions about student apathy and the University’s Jesuit mission and responded to queries from the audience.

“I think it went really well,” Harriss said regarding the debate. “I hope everyone got more comfortable with the candidates.”