In a debate Sunday night, the three Student Association presidential candidates had a final opportunity to attract voters to their positions on diversity, academic affairs and handling of internal issues within the organization.

Differences among candidates Duane Ford, Boris Gresely and Ivan Rosales were brought out when discussing internal issues SA has faced, how to engage new members and each candidate’s involvement with the organization. The debate was held in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium and was hosted by CitrusTV.

Internal affairs in SA was one of the main topics of debate. While all three candidates have spent time in SA, Ford, the current vice president, is the only one who is currently a member.

“Not only am I in SA but I’m a proud member of SA,” Ford said.

He added that some students might negatively associate him with the impeachment proceedings of current President Allie Curtis, but he believes it showed he was able to remain objective throughout the process and look at what was best for the organization, despite the fact that Curtis appointed him.

To avoid internal issues, Rosales, a former cabinet member, said it would be important to hold cabinet members accountable for what they’re working on.

Gresely said he would present a new perspective from Ford, who currently serves in Curtis’ administration, and Rosales, who was a cabinet member until he resigned last spring.

“A vote for one candidate is a vote for more of the same,” he said. “A vote for the other candidate is a vote for someone who not seven months ago resigned from SA. I believe I’m the best candidate to reform, reconnect and redirect SA.”

The topic of diversity — a recurring topic for each candidate throughout the campaign — was discussed again at various times throughout the evening. All three agree that self-segregation is a problem at Syracuse University, but they all have different ways of addressing it.

Rosales said he wants to tackle self-segregation proactively by creating a multicultural week that promotes diversity and awareness.

Gresely wants to create a student affairs summit so that every facet of the university — including students from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry — can come together to discuss ideas.

Ford said he believes that reformatting freshman forum classes would help students collaborate with one another at the beginning of their time at SU so they don’t form cliques with similar types of students.

But the candidates disagreed on a few issues, as well, including academics.

Ford said the school’s ranking needs to be improved because it carries a lot weight with prospective students and shows the value of an SU degree.

Rosales argued that academics need to be improved at SU so that students are motivated to come to campus in a time when more online courses are becoming available.

Gresely said including more student input on the curriculum would improve academics and consequently SU’s rankings.

Voting for SA elections begins Monday and continues through Thursday. Students can vote on their MySlice account.

 

Published on November 11, 2013 at 12:54 am

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27