Presidential candidates reveal goals in debate
Candidates for ASUSU president voiced their opinions on Common Hour, student involvement and differential tuition at the primary debate Tuesday in the Hub.
Candidates Erik Mikkelsen, Keenan Nuehring and Ben Williams answered prepared questions and then questions asked by students in an open forum. Lacey Nagao, ASUSU public relations director, officiated.
Differential tuition, which is charging a certain fee or rate above regular tuition depending on a student’s respective college, was a hot topic repeatedly brought up by students and the candidates. The goal of differential tuition is to meet budget concerns in a college and not just the entire university.
Nagao asked the candidates to list an issue they feel has not yet been addressed by students and faculty. Williams, who mentions differential tuition in his campaign platform, spoke against it.
“It’s becoming a nationwide trend and can easily get out of hand,” Williams said. “If we’re solving problems with money, then inevitably we’re having more problems, which means it’s going to be more money coming out of your pocket.”
Williams said it would be one of the worst things if students were deterred from a major, or the university, because differential tuition made it too expensive.
Instead of differential tuition, Williams said he was fine with tuition as a whole going up for students, since having one college cost more than another would alienate certain majors at Utah State.
Mikkelsen and Nuehring’s opinions differed.
Mikkelsen said differential tuition is vital to be able to pay for good professors for a quality education.
Nuehring said students pay 30 percent of their tuition costs, and the rest is made up by taxpayers.
“Seventy percent of professors at USU have tenure, which means we are getting an amazing education for the amount of money we are paying,” he said. “But it also means we have to pay a lot more.”
Williams said, “With budget cuts coming along, we’re going to have to get money from somewhere.”
A common hour for students to attend arts activities and lectures, passed by ASUSU and planned for next year, was the other prominent issue of the day. Each of the three candidates said a common hour is a good idea.
Mikkelsen said, if elected, he will work with the elected student advocate to determine whether students want a common hour or not.
“My platform is to put students first,” Mikkelsen said.
Williams said he will ensure the majority of students approve of a common hour. If they don’t, common hour will be scrapped.
Neuhring said,”This is going to happen in 2012 regardless. Everything’s in place; it’s going to happen.”
Although it is going to happen, Neuhring said, students have a choice to get rid of it. A petition needs to be signed and sent to a vote to recommend the administration do away with it.
“If this really is what students want, there is no question in my mind that that’s what we’ll do,” he said.
How will the candidates get students involved, and help them understand what is going on at the university?
An audience member who lives off campus wanted to know how to get involved when all he hears about are church events. This sparked a discussion on student involvement.
Mikkelsen, former Sigma Phi Epsilon president, said he had never been involved in anything before he came to Utah State, and now he can see the value in getting involved. He said the information booth in the TSC is supposed to be staffed all the time so people wondering what they can do can ask questions.
Nuehring said Day on the Quad at the beginning of the year isa perfect way to find ways to get involved.
Williams said more consistent activities need to be planned for the weekends to increast student satisfaction and retention.
Among the observers, current ASUSU president Tyler Tolson asked questions of the candidates about professionalism and what has prepared them to be representative of all the students.
Neuhring said being student body president is caring about the students and doing what they want.
Mikkelsen said it is important for the student body president to develop relationships with the administration and work for the students.
Williams said a professional president puts students first by accomplishing the goals set for the year.
As far as improving communication with students who are on and off campus, each of the candidates had different goals.
“How would feel about hearing from me on a monthly basis? Hearing about what I’m doing, where the money’s going,” Williams said.
One of Williams’ platform goals is to have the president, executive officers, and senators write in The Statesman regularly about what they are doing.
Neuhring said he disagrees with Williams on how to communicate with students. One of his platform goals is a State of the Students address where students can come ask questions of the president in an open forum twice a semester. It will increase accountability to students, he said.
“I want you to come and ask me point blank what I’ve done with the time that you’ve given me,” he said. “I want to do it in front of hundreds of people. Embarrass me if I’ve done something wrong.”
Mikkelsen said he will make sure the Information booth is staffed all day long, like it is intended to be. Students walk by it all day, every day, he said.
“It’s a place for students to go and voice their concerns. It’s a place for students to get information about what activities are happening.
A woman from the audience asked a lighthearted question near the end of the debate.
“Desert island,” she said. “You have to bring five items, what are they. Go.”
Neuhring said he would bring a TV, an XBox 360, the game Call of Duty Black Ops, an Internet connection and his mom.
Mikkelsen said he would bring a yoga mat, a toothbrush, his memory foam pillow, Aggie Ice Cream and Big Blue, so he could have USU with him all the time.
Williams would bring a Mac, an Internet connection, a kindle, his journal and a pen.
– la.stewart@aggiemail.usu.edu