Student Government presidential and vice presidential candidates got the opportunity to square off in a Wednesday night debate as some University students requested more input about their views on certain issues.
The debate, which was held in the Union’s Vieux Carre room, was sponsored by The Reveille, the LSU chapter of NAACP, the College Republican Alliance and the College Democrats.
A panel of students representing the different groups asked the candidates questions about diversity, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, the Mobile Computing Initiative and course scheduling.
Questions were collected from students in Free Speech Alley, and the members of the organizations represented in the panel.
When the candidates were asked what they thought the most pressing issues to students are, Brad Golson and Jenny Byrd of the “New Balance” ticket said they wanted to represent students and give students a voice.
Golson said they want to be proactive as SG president and vice president.
Brandon Smith and Pete Schneider of the CHANGE ticket also said they plan on representing the students and working on issues that bring people together.
Maurice Gipson and Lori King of the FOREVER LSU ticket said they felt the most pressing issue to students is having their opinions represented.
Jay Docote and Collin Ford said the No. 1 issue for students, at least in the question, is the value of the degrees students receive from this University.
However, Ducote and Ford said they would be lying if they said their administration could change the value of the University degrees.
Since SG cannot do this, they have made their No. 1 issue planning more bus trips to other sporting events besides football, Ducote said.
The candidates also were asked about diversity.
Smith said the diversity is not just putting a black person in charge of the Minority Affairs committee and putting an international student over International Affairs.
He said diversity is putting a black person over finance and an international person over parking and transportation.
Smith also said a minority issue is to seek more degree programs for student athletes, who are mostly members of minority groups.
Gipson said diversity is not just a black/white issue.
He said the University must stress culture and all students must know they are included.
Unlike the other candidates, Ducote and Ford said they wanted to stress individualism, instead of merely stressing diversity.
Ducote said if he is elected, he does not want to put someone on his staff just because they are of a different skin color. Instead, he wants to put someone on his staff because they are different as a person.
Another highlight of the night came when the vice presidential candidates were asked what they thought about having an LGBT center on campus.
While Byrd said it was important to educate students about sexual orientations and represent the LGBT community, sexual orientation does not make LGBT students different.
King said she went to an LGBT film festival a few weeks ago, and the experience was good for her.
She said if they can have new groups all over campus, she does not see why the University cannot have a center for LGBT people to hang out together.
Ford agreed with Byrd and King.
However, Schneider said as a Christian, he believes the lifestyle of the LGBT community members is morally wrong, and as an individual he cannot support the center.
But he also said if the University were to have the center, it should be placed on a referendum for a student vote.
The presidential candidates also were asked what they would do to further the Flagship Agenda now that Chancellor Mark Emmert is leaving to accept a job at another university.
Golson said his administration would make sure to research the Master Plan and the things students want to happen.
Smith never really addressed the issue, but he did say he wanted a new chancellor who could be more than just a figurehead. He also said he wanted a chancellor who could be a “marketer” for the University.
Concerning Chancellor Emmert and the Flagship Agenda, Ducote said he ranked the Flagship Agenda as the No. 5 issue when he ranked it with other issues.
“I am ready to see the chancellor get out of here,” Ducote said. “I’m ready to get a good person in here.”
He said he has met Emmert 15 times, and he has never remembered his name.
Ducote and Ford left the debate after this question in order to attend an women’s basketball game in the PMAC, and they invited members of the audience to come along with them.
At the end of the evening, the candidates were asked what animal they would be, if they could be any animal.
Gipson said he would be a fighting tiger.
Golson said this was the hardest question of the night, but after some thought, he said he would be a fish, because “fish get things done.”
Smith said he has been told he resembles the cereal “sugar bear,” but he would want to be a guppie, because he has “the hots” for Disney’s Little Mermaid Ariel.
“Who doesn’t love the little mermaid,” Smith said.