SGA candidates will debate in Bovee tonight

The Student Government Association presidential and vice presidential candidates will debate their platforms tonight at 8 p.m. on campus in the Bovee University Center Lake Michigan Room.

Each candidate will have two minutes apiece to answer four questions of which they each have seen and prepared for.

They will each get a closing statement at the end of the debate.

Two questions will be about the new university president; one will deal with school budget; and the last will discuss new ways for the SGA to communicate with students.

Grand Rapids freshman Laura Rynbrand said that informing students has been one of the bigger agendas for SGA in the past year.

“We want to convey the message to the whole student body rather than just the RSO groups because we know how busy people are,” Rynbrand said.

If time allows, students will be able to bring up issues to the candidates.

“If there is time within that hour and a half, we will give students a chance to ask the questions that they want to discuss,” Rynbrand said.

Rynbrand said the question regarding the new university president is considered to be of great importance because news on the search process has been scarce.

University President Michael Rao accepted the presidency at Virginia Commonwealth University Feb. 20 and will begin July 1.

“The budget will be part of the discussion, but that will also go along with the discussion on the new president that is coming in,” Rynbrand said.

This will be the final opportunity for students to hear all of the candidates speak before the election begins online at midnight on March 30. Elections end April 3.

university@cm-life.com