By Josie Loza
A handful of students gathered around the Fireplace Lounge in the Milo Bail Student Center Tuesday to hear student president/regent candidates debate university issues.
The debate, which was sponsored by The Gateway, allowed the students running to share their concerns with students.
Krissy Vogel and her running mate Aaron Winters said they would be proactive about student priorities.
“We here to represent the students,” Vogel said. “If they feel we’re not doing our job, I hope they hold me accountable for it.”
Vogel said Student Government has been more inward looking instead of proactive.
“We have to make an effort to represent the student body,” she said.
Joe Bilek, current vice president for the Student Government, and his running partner Kamina Jones also believed the Senate’s connection with the student body has been falling off in recent years.
“It’s being in touch with the students,” he said. “I would also like to see an increase of the number of people that vote on campus.”
Vogel believed that student barrier was due to a lack of knowledge on how things are done on campus. She said that she would like to be more connected with the students.
Siding with her, Winters said he has the desire to get things done.
“If there is an issue that needs to be represented, I’ll do it,” he said. “I’m not afraid to take some heat.”
Bilek believes that both his experience with the Senate and his position as president of the Infraternal Council will help him as student president/regent.
“I’ve gotten to know many organizations on many different levels,” he said.
Jones said she also has the determination to get more students involved.
“Together we can reach out and touch more students,” Bilek said.
Bilek said that he would like to see more pressure applied on the administration regarding campus issues, such as the recent budget cuts.
“On this campus we need to be more proactive,” he said. “We need to take a proactive stance to any problem between administration and the students.”
Bilek said he would like to see students get more involved, especially when it comes to the voting booth. He said last year’s voting figures wouldn’t turn heads.
“It’s important to vote,” he said. “The more people we have on campus that vote, the more we’ll be heard.”
