SGA debate brings out the Issues

By Ellis Cross

The candidates for president and vice president wrestled with topics and each other’s ideas during the Griffon News sponsored debate.

Ring time was at 8 p.m. in Spratt Hall on Thursday Nov. 8, and the ladies came out swinging.  The first topic of contention was the student union and the problems that have recently been brought to light. Vice presidential candidate Jennifer Kohler pointed out that things have already changed there.

“The day the Griffon News article came out things began to change,” Kohler said. “We need to get the word out, and let students know when they’re acting foolish.”

Opposing candidate Emily Feger announced a new idea of moving the Student Government Association offices to the lobby of the Blum Student Union. 

“People will notice the presence of authority and leadership in the lobby,” Feger said. “We are hidden upstairs, and this will be a non-threatening way to control those activities.”

Kohler rebutted the idea with “We (SGA) don’t have the money for the move.”

The next round’s topic was the relationship between the SGA and MWSU administration, which has been strained. Kohler believes the tiff between the SGA and its adviser should never have happened. “Administration is there to help work with us, not against us,” Kohler said.
“I have a good working relationship with administration,” Feger said. “We need to find a way to give administration input about what students want.” 

Feger explained the “tiff” as a test. “The adviser left and we freaked out, we were used to the adviser we had and we needed to test the bounds,” Feger said.

Both candidates agreed they way to foster better relationships with administration was to get them more involved with the meetings and decisions of the SGA.  Then, when decisions are made by the SGA, they can be better advised in a more timely fashion.

The final round was the toughest of all with the topic of getting more students involved. The candidates were divided on the subject.  Kohler stood firmly, toe-to toe with her position that increased numbers will not improve the SGA. Feger however wants more numbers. 

“We need more word of mouth inviting people personally to get involved, not just flyers,” Feger said. She asked that members of the SGA start personally asking people that are not leaders but are involved in other organizations to become part of the SGA.

“Sometimes the best followers make the best leaders.” Feger said.

And now for the main event!

Current vice president, Luke Herrington, took center ring with opening promises about working to resolve relationship problems with administration, campus organizations and the SGA.

“We need to pull together instead of pulling apart,” Herrington said. “My ideas don’t mean much without student participation.”
Presidential candidate Harold Callaway bolted from his corner, reminding everyone of his appointment from Matt Blunt to the MWSU Board of Governors.  He carried with him written documentation of some “Text Book” resolution to lower cost of books that students purchase. He was also equipped with the latest information on the SGA’s spending habits, promising to cut waste.

“Reducing the SGA’s administrative spending will allow more spending for each student on campus,” Callaway said.

His flurry of punches continued with promises of better housing for students and better marketing of the SGA.

Their first round was the topic of Senate seats on the SGA.  Herrington felt that the SGA Senate seats are too few in comparison to the Faculty Senate. SGA represents 1 percent of the students, while the Faculty Senate consists of 8 percent of the faculty.  The problem with increasing the number of seats is filling them.  “We have been recruiting very busy people,” Herrington said.

He feels the campus is run by very few people who hold most of the positions of power.

Callaway believes that the 40 seats are enough, but added that they were not excessive.

“The problem of a few people running everything is an unfortunate small campus experience,” Callaway said. “I don’t know how to attack it.”
Callaway included in his list of key issues, a reduction of spending, pointing out the excessive spending on travel. He would also like a balance of spending between traditional students and non-trads.  He also mentioned the benefits of childcare on campus for students with children.
Herrington’s keys issues were first to tackle the age-old problem of student involvement with better marketing of the SGA with a new guidebook that would explain the SGA and how it serves the campus.  He supported the history of spending the SGA has had in the area of travel.

“The money spent on those conferences is to develop student leadership to make MWSU better,” Herrington said.
Callaway continued his anti-spending assault.

“We need better food options, not better seating in the food court,” Callaway said.

Round two’s topic dealt with the issues between the SGA and its adviser. Both candidates talked about a better relationship and cooperation, but Callaway blasted Herrington for signing the letter to the editor of the Griffon News about the problem between SGA and administration.
“You can’t burn bridges, these are people that I have worked closely with and this letter shows poor board perception,” Callaway said.
Herrington explained that the letter was to let students know what was going on behind the scene.

“We achieved our goal, Herrington said, students got involved and administration knows of the problem.”

It was a very good evening for all of the candidates and the 45 people in the audience.  It was possibly the strongest turnout in presidential debate history on MWSU campus.

“I wish it had been more about what is going to be done instead of what we have done,” outgoing president Natalie Bailey said.

The students left the affair with a split decision.  “Harold (Callaway) was more articulate and has a great relationship with administration, but what we want now is something new from the SGA not the same old buddy-buddy system we have had with administration,” student Brandon Boswell said.