Eastern Michigan University students gathered at the Student Center stage Wednesday night to listen to the student body president candidates debate. The four candidates debated a wide range of issues from parking on campus to changes in the Student Senate.
The candidates, Phoebe Conybeare, Muneeb Khan, Jelani McGadney and Jacob Speck, each had two minutes to answer questions posed by the moderators- Josh Coudret, Editor-in-Chief of The Eastern Echo, and Edward Sidlow, professor of political science at EMU.
In his opening remarks, Speck, a double-major in business management and business marketing, expressed why he is running for president.
“Eastern is my home,” he said.
Speck is running with junior Isra Daraiseh.
Conybeare, an international affairs major, stated in her opening remarks she and vice presidential running mate Aaron Jameyson have the most experience.
“We think that we are the most experienced, the most focused and most innovative team to tackle some of the long-term issues here at Eastern,” she said. “We think that we have some brand-new ideas to old problems.”
McGadney said he and his running mate, Jeffrey Chicoine, just felt a need to run for presidency.
“We felt a need and want to serve,” he said in his opening remarks.
Muneeb said he was running because of the opportunities.
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“I feel like there’s a lot of amazing things happening and a lot of amazing opportunities,” he said.
Muneeb is running with Ashley Reynolds, a journalism major.
When asked about the recently voted down Student Senate bill to require presidential and vice president candidates to have served on the Senate for at least 12 weeks, McGadney, Speck and Muneeb all agreed with the Senate’s decision.
“(There are) plenty of great student leaders who aren’t a part of Student Government,” Speck said.
McGadney agreed, saying it the president’s job to “know the ins and outs of the student body, not government.”
Conybeare was the voice of dissent.
“You wouldn’t go to a Student Organization you’ve never been a part of and ask to be president,” she said.
When the discussion came to parking, all of the candidates agreed Eastern needs a change.
McGadney expressed the idea of getting bus passes for EMU students to ride the Ann Arbor Transit Authority bus routes for free.
“I think it’s a very good way and a cost-effective way for students,” he said. “We know it’s gonna be expensive for the University, but the thing is it’s important.”
McGadney’s idea was reflected in Conybeare’s idea of talking with the AATA to add more bus routes, particularly from the Convocation Center to main campus.
“Adding a second bus route, I think, is an ideal goal,” she said. “And it’s something that wouldn’t come out of our pockets as a University. The AATA would be footing the bill, essentially.”
Junior and former device chair of business and finance in the Student Senate, Ashley Adams asked the candidates how they would make programs more academically-focus instead of socially focused.
Speck said he wanted to collaborate more with Campus Life and suggested the use of email, websites and a Student Government newsletter.
EMU student and political science major Demetrius Jenkins asked how the candidates felt about extending the Rec/IM hours.
Conybeare said, in general, priorities need to be reevaluated, especially in regards to the Rec/IM hours.
“Maybe at noon, when everyone is at class during the day, we close for an hour to save money,” she said. “And then we add that hour on at the end of the day for our students.”
Muneeb agreed, saying more innovation is needed to help solve this problem, and others like it.
“At the end of the day, there is some costs that will never be able to be filled,” he said. “So if we extend the hours at the Rec, we will need to pull back maybe at the library or somewhere else.”
Despite their different approaches, each of the candidates promised to support each other in the coming year.
Voting for student body president and vice president begins at 8 a.m. March 30 and is open until 8 p.m. March 31. Voting will be held online, on my.emich.edu.
