Debate Video:

Ignite, Evolve and Building Bridges. These were the main themes the candidates running for the Student Government Association executive board expressed at the annual SGA debate on Feb. 15 in the Saint Louis Room.

With three full tickets of seven executive board candidates, this year’s debate format had to be modified to allow enough time for all 21 candidates to express their platform points in the hour and a half timeframe.

“We looked at last year’s structure and it was pretty obvious that it wouldn’t work with three tickets so it seemed practical that we had to make some cuts,” SGA Election Commissioner Chris McGeehan said. “By focusing on the questions, we kept it about the candidates’ qualifications rather than taking pokes at the other candidates.”

No time was allowed for candidates to address another candidate’s platform, as compared to last year’s debate.  Each set of executive board candidates were asked two questions for them to address in a minute and a half.  A panel made up of current SGA President Courtney Anvender, Vice President for Student Development Kent Porterfield, Assistant Vice President for Student Development Leanna Fennenberg and Dean of Students Scott Smith asked the questions.

The three candidates for SGA president, junior Tim Janczewski for the Ignite ticket, junior Jimmy Meiners for the Evolve ticket and sophomore Matt Ryan for the Building Bridges ticket, went first and they were allowed three minutes for their opening statements.

McGeehan tossed a coin several times to determine the order for these statements and Ryan won the toss and was allowed to speak first.  Ryan stated the work SGA has ahead of it is not something that can be pushed aside, saying he believed the way to better the Saint Louis University campus is by bettering SGA.

“Understand that the Student Government Association is your association, understand that next year, your concerns will be just as valued as my concerns,” Ryan said. “Some have said that I should have waited until next year to run for president, but some of these issues cannot wait until next year. With your help we can get to work, with your help we can build bridges.”

Janczewski gave his opening statement next. He cited his experience as Financial Vice President on this year’s executive board as a guiding factor in his vision for the future of the association.

“SGA needs organization, communication and professionalism and this will create an SGA that really stands out to students and is able to form a personal relationship with students,” Janczewski said. “We just want students to really know us and trust us and build those personal relationships because we want to empower students. We want to ignite Saint Louis University.”

In the final opening statement, Meiners expressed growth and maturing as the key for next year’s SGA.

“I think we have seen very obvious problems arise all over campus, and we will be challenging the status quo from previous years,” Meiners said. “In the spirit of this ticket’s name, Evolve, we intend to build on this year’s accomplishments of SGA as well as to further develop and expand areas that need attention.”

After the opening statements ended, Anvender posed the only questions to the presidential candidates. She asked how the candidates hoped to achieve their primary objectives in their platforms and how they planned to build off of the success of her administration.

Janczewski was given the first chance to answer.  He stressed student involvement and communication with students as a key factor for his objectives.

“Just getting students involved and getting them excited into everything that SGA does is going to be the key,” Janczewski said. “We need to prove to those administrators at SLU that we can be taken seriously and that we are here for the students and open for to the students.”

Ryan also expressed that student feedback was key for communicating with administrators moving forward.

“I think that Student Government needs to go to students, I don’t think that we should look around and say ‘why aren’t students coming to us?’” Ryan said. “We need to concentrate on the role of the senator at an earlier stage. I think it is important for the senators to know that they are ambassadors on this campus.”

Meiners said that his primary initiative was sustainability, not only in environmental practices, but also sustainability within the relationships between the administration and the student body.

According to Anvender, this cooperation is key in winning this election, as she believes it will take a mix of experience and new perspectives.

“I think the debate was interesting because the dynamics were definitely different having three tickets. Candidates not only had to try to get in the points from their own platform but to also try to acknowledge the other candidates as well,” Anvender said. “Overall, I think a majority of the platforms are very well-researched and I think they benefited from their experiences on SGA and I enjoyed the fresh perspectives of those who haven’t been on SGA.”