A new debate format engaged candidate conversation toward diversity and student fees at the Student Government debate Tuesday evening. Hosted by Student Media, four pairs of student body president and vice president candidates were questioned by three panelists regarding specific questions that pertained to their platforms, campaigns and experience.
Technician Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Carter, a third-year studying political science, served as moderator of the debate. As he introduced the panelists and debate structure, Carter mentioned that debate was encouraged during the second round of questions.
Presidential candidate returner Alberto Quiroga, a third-year studying aerospace engineering, and running mate Zach Lewis, a third-year studying statistics, pointed to their faculty diversity bill and graduate student child care as highlights of their platform.
“It’s an expressed need we have on this campus with child care,” Lewis said during the second round of the vice presidential portion of the debate. “I think it’s a conversation we’d like to have with administration, finding funding whether it be from student fees or other places, but it’s a conversation we would like to start having with administration.”
Vice presidential candidate Meredith Spence Beaulieu, a fourth-year Ph.D. student studying entomology, quickly responded about her own recent experience working to amend the complex issue in the four-minute period open for candidate debate.
“As a graduate student, this is something that I hear about frequently,” Spence Beaulieu said. “I’ve been working this year trying to get that open to graduate students and unfortunately it’s just not happening… So they are struggling to find funding to continue campus child care [for faculty and staff] much less, open that up to graduate students.”
Spence Beaulieu’s presidential running mate Jess Errico, a fourth-year studying mechanical and aerospace engineering, also took advantage of the period of debate, during the presidential round of questions. When discussing the Women of Color Village and PRIDE Village initiatives, Errico emphasized her and Spencer Beaulieu’s efforts for advocacy.
“I would also argue that going to the student groups involved and the student groups who would be affected, so the stakeholders in that conversation, and bringing them to the table with the administration would be what needs to happen,” Errico said. “So really empowering the leader that’s in every student to advocate for what’s best for them, because ultimately I do not identify with either of those two villages, but I certainly want to help enable others to advocate for themselves.”
Running mates Mia Connell, a third-year studying sociology, and Gabby Dauntain, a second-year studying philosophy and political science, also discussed their work with the Women of Color Village, which Dauntain is sponsoring a bill to establish support for.
“I’ve been a really big part of these and, of course, as vice president, I would work on the these initiatives that are very important to me,” Dauntain said. “I believe everyone should have a space where they can be themselves and stay true to themselves here on NC State’s campus.”
Connell also echoed the sentiments of her running mate, stating how she had to work through logistical issues with administration by providing them with feedback regarding space and finances.
“Definitely starting out there was a lot of opposition, specifically with the Women in Color Village,” Connell said. “And the way you work through that is working with the people that oppose it … We are a very large campus with 35,000 students and when we unite and mobilize as a force it’s very easy to show administration what matters to us.”
The three panelists, Technician’s news editor, Mary Dare Martin, a third-year studying English and communication, Technician’s social media analytics manager, Lorcan Neill, a second-year studying political science and communication, and Nubian Message’s editor-in-chief, Anahza Jones, a fourth-year studying English, asked both general and specific questions to candidates, two of which were submitted by students via Facebook.
Student body president candidate Taylor Pulliam, a third-year studying political science, presented aspects of his platform during the debate. His running mate Cat Duble, a third-year studying business administration and communication, was out of the country at the time of the debate.
“I think first off we have to start off with accessibility and making sure all these students are knowledgeable of all the events and stuff that are going on in Student Government,” Pulliam said. “I know personally, this is one of the big reasons we are running because we want to make sure that all students are involved and all students are knowledgeable about the things that Student Government does.”
Quiroga fielded questions regarding his plans for energy-efficient light systems and increasing student safety, a large component on the campaign’s sustainability initiative.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s reduced lighting, it’s just energy-efficient lighting,” Quiroga said. “Making sure lights in an area such as a parking deck, that aren’t really needed 24/7, making sure that as soon as a student walks in the whole entire parking deck lights up, but if there are no students walking around because there is no motion sensor activated from that student walking around, they don’t need to be turned on.”
Toward the end of the debate, a question was addressed to Pulliam about the feasibility their platform’s initiatives. Pulliam discussed how he would talk with administrators about student fees.
“We have a $1.2 billion endowment, where is all this going?” Pulliam asked. “It’s very important to keep student fees and student tuition as low as possible. We already pay to go to college, we’re here to get an education, we’re not here to break the bank.”
During the following debate period, Errico added how she and Spence Beaulieu have specific experience dealing with student fees.
“One unique asset that our ticket and our ticket alone has that experience on the tuition and fees committee working with students,” said Errico, which Connell quickly rebutted.
“I was on that committee,” Connell said.
Errico responded to Connell’s commentary by mentioning her involvement, but persisting with her platform’s intent.
“So Mia was on that committee but did not attend it,” Errico said. “So the great thing about Meredith being at those meetings is that it made me familiar with that handbook with that explanation of tuition and fees is that we already have that familiarity with the conversation, those packets are really dense and pretty hard to understand.”
Quiroga also refuted Errico’s comment by mentioning Lewis’ experience serving on the Student Senate’s tuition and fees committee.
The debate wrapped up with a closing from Carter thanking everyone for their time and participation in the newly formatted debate.
Student voting begins Monday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. and ends Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.
Jonathan Carter, a third year majoring in political science and religious studies, wraps up the student body presidential debate on media and diversity on Tuesday in the Student Governance chambers in Talley Student Union. The debate went through many issues like affordability of schooling, campus childcare for students, and the free menstrual product initiative.
