In order to get students to make their marks heavy and dark during elections March 25 and 26, INdiana, Big Red and Kirkwood candidates fielded questions from Chancellor Ken Gros Louis at a debate Wednesday night.\n“If you were traveling in a train going 90 miles per hour and a bus leaves...” joked Gros Louis, the IUSA debate moderator.\nThe real questions covered topics from the biggest issues facing students today to candidates’ feelings about the IDS. \nWhat is the biggest issue facing IU students today?\nNancy Kazarinova, running for treasure on the Kirkwood ticket, answered the first question of the evening. Kazarinova said that one of the biggest issues facing IU students today is their apathetic attitude toward issues such as campus sustainability. While she said she is happy that students have been vocal about the recent basketball “incidences,” she thinks some of their energy should be better focused.\nDavid White, the presidential candidate on the INdiana ticket, talked about the lack of communication between the University and students, while Big Red’s presidential candidate, Luke Fields, echoed that sentiment. Students are in between being legally recognized as adults and being young people not yet ready to tackle grown-up issues, he said. Fields proposed that the congress would help by serving as a liaison.\nWould candidates support an increase in student fees to cover improvements to recreational facilities?\nWhite said he would support increasing student fees to improve the SRSC and HPER only if all other options had already been explored.\n“It’s really the students’ decision,” said Robin Featherston, Big Red’s treasurer. Featherston suggested that if students supported improvements to these facilities, then funds should be reduced in areas that students feel are less important.\nWeis said that to compete with other colleges, IU will need to improve its facilities.\n“Sixty percent of IU students use (the HPER and SRSC) on a weekly basis,” Weis said. “I think that shows students will be in favor of this.” \nWhat major accomplishment does each ticket hope to make?\nThe three things that Kirkwood most hopes to accomplish are a greener campus, a safer campus – including a 24-hour campus bus service – and a healthier campus. \nBig Red candidates are focusing on the possibility of a fall break for students. They pointed out that in the past the seat reserved for a voting student voice on the committee that creates the academic schedule has been vacant. Big Red would fill that seat.\nINdiana candidates want to make changes that will affect students’ everyday lives, such as making bridges safer. They hope to make IUSA an approachable advocate for students.\nWhat grade would the tickets give the IDS?\nKirkwood and INdiana both gave the IDS grades in the A range, although INdiana vice president candidate T.J. Wallace did say that he felt “coverage of the student government could be improved and maybe more fair.”\nBig Red president Fields disagreed. \n“I was appalled with the IDS’ opinion columns,” Fields said. “I think often the IDS tramples on student rights and students’ values to move more copies on Monday mornings.”
The debate ended with a challenge from White. White has already spoken to the IU Foundation, and if he wins, his presidential stipend will be used as a scholarship for IU students. \n“I feel it is so important that a president runs for the right reason,” White said. “I would like to challenge other tickets to commit their presidential stipends.”
