The Focus and Spork Parties’ presidential, vice presidential and senior class presidential candidates answered questions about sustainability efforts and homecoming week at a debate Wednesday night.
The debate, held at the Heritage Center, was the first of this year’s Associated Students of the University of Utah elections season.
The candidates compared their relative leadership experience and talked about how they plan to unite student groups around campus. Both parties emphasized their own plans to create a forum for student group leaders to meet, collaborate and strengthen each other through cooperation and shared resources.
Focus members discussed how they want to hold regular meeting for student groups to give them a chance to collaborate with one another and learn how to receive ASUU funding and recruit more students.
Spork Party candidates emphasized their plan for the Crimson Council, a permanent council of student leaders that would advise ASUU on how to spend its money. The party said it would set aside about $50,000 for the council to distribute as it saw fit, according to student needs.
In a closing question, Focus candidates expressed concern that the Crimson Council would take power away from the Legislature, and asked what changes would need to be made to Redbook, the student constitution, to give the council $50,000.
John Bowers, the vice presidential candidate for Spork, said that no changes would need to be made to Redbook, and that the council’s money would come from cutting down excess spending within ASUU’s boards.
“If you look at the (finances)…we’re spending too much money, and I don’t agree with it,” he said.
Graham Anderson, Spork’s presidential candidate, asked the Focus candidates how their idea for a regular student group council could work as well as the council, especially in terms of reflecting diversity, because it would not be as official or permanent as the Crimson Council.
Focus candidates said they would incorporate diversity awareness and issues into every board in ASUU through meeting with student groups.
“One of the first things we’re going to do with our directors is start having dialogues and train (our directors) in diversity?because they’re representing this entire campus,” said Jon Hayes, Focus’ vice presidential candidate.