Nov. 4 isn’t only election day for the nation, it’s also election day for the new Creighton Students Union executives and representatives. To prepare for the decision, candidates for CSU president and vice president of Student Affairs addressed the changes and developments they foresee in the future of the university during the CSU Executive Candidate Debate on Wednesday in the Skutt Student Center.
After opening remarks from current CSU President Micah White, the candidates, Arts & Sciences junior Adam Hare and Business junior Dillon Miskimins for president, along with Arts & Sciences junior Rajeev Anchan and Arts & Sciences sophomore Seth Rich for vice president of Student Affairs, answered pre-submitted questions from leaders of student organizations on campus.
Topics during the debate ranged from funding for student organizations to recycling and promoting unity among student organizations. All the candidates were concerned with decreasing funding rollover and increasing the visibility of CSU on campus.
Debate moderator Jenna Vercillo, current vice president for programming, asked the first question from 2007 CSU president Steve McHale about cooperation between CSU executives, cabinet members and representatives.
Hare, a representative since 2007, answered first. “One way we can get the cabinet and executives more on target is better communication,” Hare said. “I need to [to] communicate with them, sit down regularly with them and talk to them – find out what their students are saying, find out what their needs are.”
Miskimins, current vice president for finances, answered another question about how he would support the four divisions of CSU: finance, programming, student affairs and the presidency.
“How are we going to build a team? That’s the president’s job, building a team between the four of us that can work together to serve you, the students, and have a fantastic Creighton Students Union so that we can hear their concerns and do what you, the students, want to see out of CSU,” Miskimins said.
When asked about his ability to lead students from all Creighton’s colleges, Rich cited his experience with the CSU marketing and constituent services committees.
“We undertook the task in which every member of my committee, from every college on our campus, had an integral roll in forming the campaign known as CSU for you. We shaped the premise for what turned into some of the main points in the strategic plan,” Rich said. Anchan answered the same question, citing his role in developing the recycling program with students from all different colleges.
“Within that diversity, I think I realized that each group has different things that they need — A big part of that has been understanding what those differences are and how we can speak to each single one of those differences and what we can really do.”
After an hour of questions and answers, the debate ended with applause from the students that filled the Student Center stairs.
Arts & Sciences sophomore Mike Kulig said he attended the debate to see how each candidate perceived his role for the coming year on CSU.
“I think we have two very good possibilities for president. I think that they both have good ideas, and the same goes for vice president of student affairs. I think maybe Rajeev has a little more experience, but Seth I think also has some very good ideas that are up-and-coming, and I’ve talked to him about that.”
There was one topic that Kulig said he would have liked the candidates to address: Creighton’s relationship with the surrounding community.
“How do they propose to build that relationship between our community and the community around us so that we’re one big community and not two communities that see this invisible wall between us?” Kulig said.
Students will be able to vote online for the next Creighton Students Union executives and representatives between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, and the results will be announced during the CSU Annual Corporation Meeting at 9 p.m.