SGA presidential candidates used a final debate Friday as a last-ditch effort to point out their opponents’ flaws and highlight their differences on issues such as transparency and diversity.
In front of nearly 30 students during the Diamondback-hosted debate, Student Government Association presidential candidates Ben Simon of the Love Party and Kaiyi Xie of the Action Party were given the opportunity to ask each other questions — and they jumped on it.
Xie stumped Simon when he asked him to name the city’s representatives in the Maryland General Assembly and the difference between Simon’s plan for a student appeals arm of the SGA and the university’s current ombuds services.
Simon named Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) but could not name other representatives, and he incorrectly listed Sheila Hickson as chairwoman of the appropriations committee.
Yet, Simon noted he’s formed relationships with representatives from his hometown, and, if elected, he will do the same here.
And of the ombuds services, Simon said he’d never heard of them.
“Maybe that’s just telling as to why we need a student appeals arm of the SGA,” he said.
The two candidates differed on how they would increase their administration’s transparency.
Xie said a technological approach would accomplish this mission, citing that he wants to provide a tab on each student’s MyUMD homepage that will let them see the contact information for their residential and academic legislatures. Although the technology is expensive, Xie said he would look for outside funding and collaborate with OIT to cheapen the cost.
But above all else, “simply being honest with the actions that you take” is the best way to do business, Xie said.
“People can’t hold you accountable if they don’t know what you’re doing,” Xie said.
By streaming live video of legislative meetings online and by having Friday afternoon tea with students, Simon said his approach to tackling transparency is more personal.
When asked about campus safety proposals, Simon said his party did not have any specific plans.
“We need to be realistic with ourselves, and can we stop crime? I don’t think we can,” Simon said. “There is no room for these initiatives.”
Instead, the Love Party will improve safety by providing community-building events to allow students and police to interact, Simon said.
“By building stronger community, you improve the environment for safety,” Simon said.
The issue of party diversity was brought up again; in Wednesday’s debate, Simon called the Vice President of Academic Affairs candidate Jamil Scott the Action Party’s token minority representative.
But Xie said it’s not his candidates’ skin or backgrounds that matter but instead where each one stands on diversity.
“I honestly don’t think it matters what color or creed you are,” Xie said. “It doesn’t translate to less caring about all these different issues.
Simon said he’s not concerned with racial diversity, but with his party’s involvement in a wide-range of organizations around the campus.
“The SGA should always be sensitive to these issues and be welcoming to students of all backgrounds, colors, religions, and I think that the SGA should help to facilitate cross-cultural collaboration whenever possible,” Simon said. “Having a ticket that is so representative of the student body helps more students to feel welcome.”
The candidates agreed on several issues, like city-campus relations and college affordability.
Simon and Xie agreed that registering more students to vote on campus is imperative, and Simon stressed that he wanted to see more student attendance at city council meetings.
They also agreed that the SGA should take stances on state and national issues, citing federal Pell grants and open-source textbooks as focal points .
Simon said he wanted to mobilize students on these issues and create a stronger lobbying presence in Annapolis year-round.
“It’s all about engaging students,” Simon said.
meehan at umdbk dot com
