The Gould Auditorium in the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library was packed with students and spectators for Thursday’s 2025 ASUU-Chronicle debate.

Five separate tickets took the stage to debate policies and key issues in the race for ASUU executive leadership.

ASUU is holding two rounds of elections this year. Currently, polls are open for the primary elections which will narrow down the five initial tickets to three tickets. 

On the ABC– Abakuki, Brown and Coffey – ticket is Kefa Abakuki as the presidential candidate, Campbell Brown as the vice president of university relations and Cameryn Coffey as the vice president of student relations.

The Poll ticket includes presidential candidate Spencer Poll, Gavin Reynolds as vice president of university relations and Josie Renick as vice president of student relations.

The Rose ticket consists of Alex Rose as the presidential candidate, Maddie Dahl as the vice president of university relations and Auzja Morse as the vice president of student relations.

The Singh ticket contains students Sunny Singh as the presidential candidate, Olivia Saenz as the vice president of university relations and Elle Williams as the vice president of student relations. 

Finally, the Whicker ticket features Tannon Whicker as the presidential candidate, Samson Davis as the vice president of university relations and Gideon Kiphibane as vice president of student relations. 

The debate consisted of three rounds, with each ticket member having a chance to answer a multitude of questions regarding campus issues.

Transparency and Student Engagement

Transparency emerged as a key issue for candidates, with each ticket presenting different solutions. From the ABC ticket, Coffey proposed town hall initiatives to facilitate collaboration among ASUU branches.

“The Hinckley Institute has operating forums that bring speakers to talk about current policy issues,” Coffey said. “I would like to bring something like that to ASUU.”

Kiphibane, from the Whicker ticket, argued for increased financial transparency, questioning mandatory fees and tuition allocation. 

“Students deserve to know exactly what their tuition is paying for and where mandatory fees are going,” he said.

The Poll ticket emphasized transparency between administration and students, suggesting a newsletter to keep students informed, while presidential candidate Singh stressed accessibility through open office hours and direct engagement with student organizations.

On student engagement, the Rose ticket proposed updating the U’s mobile app to better coordinate events, while the ABC ticket argued that ASUU should serve as a facilitator rather than the sole organizer of campus events. The Poll ticket emphasized the need for events tailored to graduate and nontraditional students.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

On the topic of DEI legislation, candidates acknowledged the challenges facing marginalized student groups. The ABC ticket raised concerns about resource centers closing and proposed empowering student organizations to restore lost services.

Morse, from the Rose ticket, emphasized engagement with state education policy to advocate for students. 

“One thing that is so important to us as leaders at ASSU is getting involved in state legislation,” Morse said. “We are the leaders of the future, we must know what’s going on, so it’s crucial for us to be a part of those meetings.”

Williams, from the Singh ticket, pointed to disparities in college funding, arguing that humanities programs receive significantly less support than business schools. 

“The humanities college keeps losing funding while the business school is overfunded,” Williams said. “We need to ensure every student and college gets the support they need.”

The Whicker ticket spoke about ensuring equitable access to resources, citing personal experience from an immigrant background, while the Poll ticket emphasized fostering unity through open conversations with students.

Budget Cuts and Student Safety

Budget cuts were another pressing topic. Reynolds, from the Poll ticket, criticized the lack of transparency in tuition allocation and called for accessible information regarding financial decisions.

“There’s no transparency on where money is being spent up to school and where tuition is actually going,” Reynolds said, “So one of the things that we want to make sure we have is transparency and accessible information.”

Singh suggested budget reductions should be distributed more evenly among colleges, while Whicker proposed allowing students to have a say in funding decisions. 

Brown, from the ABC ticket, committed to publishing detailed financial breakdowns.

“As our tuition continues to rise, we go ever more curious about where it’s going, how it’s being spent,” Brown said. “So a big part of our ticket is making sure that the money that ASSU does get to control is delegated very transparently.”

Regarding student safety, Rose outlined plans to expand SafeRide hours and work with campus security officials.

Reynolds, from the Poll ticket, highlighted safety concerns in dormitories, emphasizing the role of resident advisors in addressing sexual assault and advocating for expanded SafeRide coverage to off-campus housing. 

Saenz, from the Singh ticket, called for increased transparency in crime data. 

“Providing students with access to both numerical and qualitative data on-campus incidents is crucial,” Saenz said. “It’s unfortunate that these events happen, but having more detailed insights can help us address safety concerns.”

Presidential Candidates’ Key Priorities

When asked about the most significant challenge facing the university, Abakuki pointed to reduced DEI resources and the need to focus funding on RSOs. 

“We know which communities are most affected by these cuts, and we need to empower student organizations to help restore these resources,” Abakuki said.

Poll identified a lack of community and proposed more campus-wide events to foster student connections.

“Students come to college not just for academics but to build lifelong connections,” he said. “Right now, that sense of community is missing, and we need to bring it back.”

Singh expressed uncertainty but emphasized the intrinsic value of education beyond financial return.

Whicker highlighted the university’s shifting commuter demographic and the need for better accommodation of off-campus students, while Rose questioned whether the budget allocation was a primary concern and reiterated support for RSOs.

Voting for the primary election will close on Feb. 14.

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@JEmersonHagy