David Letterman Communication and Media Building Room 125 was nearly full as students came out Thursday night to support the three slates running for the Student Government Association executive office.
Current Vice President Bryan Kubel said this debate has not usually gotten that much attention in previous years.
“It only shows that students are interested in SGA elections this year, and it makes me happy as a current officer,” he said.
Thursday's vice presidential candidate debate was the first of three for this election season.
Junior journalism and telecommunications major Bri Kirkham will serve as the moderator for all the debates this season.
She said students were engaged and had specific questions to ask.
“They are trying to get involved with this university, and that’s what matters,” she said.
The three vice presidential candidates each explained the platform points they have spearheaded.
Wesley Crouch from Cardinal Direction discussed the point of Cardinal Fit. He said this program would feature custom workout and nutrition plans with collaboration from the Exercise Science Club.
He said he wants to help students struggling to stay fit.
According to Crouch’s bio on Cardinal Direction’s website, physical health is a major priority in his life.
Momentum’s Bonu Dustova spoke about implementing an international buddy system. She said this would involve matching a domestic student with an international student so they could learn about each other’s culture. This would also help international students get more involved.
Dustova herself is an international student from Tajikistan.
Richu Aby from Atlas said she was heavily involved with the pothole of the month point. She said she has been working with Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler recently on how to improve this.
Atlas hopes to set up a social media system for students to submit pictures of potholes around Ball State.
This point was later challenged when an audience member asked how this system would be different than the one the city of Muncie already has in place for people to submit a pothole repair.
Aby said it would be more of a collaboration with the city to fix the ones near Ball State to benefit students.
Another point of Atlas was challenged when an audience member asked about the implementation of later dining hours and its effects on students’ unhealthy eating habits.
Aby said she has worked with Jon Lewis, the director of campus dining services, and that healthy eating is a top priority for Lewis.
Current President Nick Wilkey asked which slate the candidates viewed as the biggest competition.
Dustova’s response to that question generated the most buzz from the audience when she said she had no competitors in this election. Once the audience settled, she further explained what she meant.
“We all strive to make things better,” she said, “Every point of theirs could improve Ball State as much as ours would.”
All three slates are set to face off at the full slate debate Feb. 17 at Pruis Hall.
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