At the Associated Students Inc. executive candidates debate Thursday, candidates discussed the main issues concerning ASI, including improving outreach, maximizing efficiency and the fight against budget cuts.
The debate was moderated by the Daily 49er at the University Student Union Ballrooms from 1-2:30 p.m.
Presidential candidate James Suazo suggested doing a self-assessment of ASI to figure out the most efficient way to run the auxiliary organization. While some candidates’ main concern was budget cuts, others like presidential candidate Elizabeth Gamboa suggested bringing back a football team.
Four of the five presidential candidates disagreed with Gamboa’s proposal to change the university name to “Long Beach State University,” changing the mascot and bringing back a football team.
“I can’t imagine spending the amount of time that it will take, the amount of administrative meetings it will take to change the name, when we have such huge issues on the line for our students,” Stephen Thomas said.
Suazo agreed saying the changes would be too expensive.
“We’re talking about name changes, changing the mascot and now football, I just think that sounds like a very, very expensive administration that I don’t know if I would ever support,” Suazo said.
During the vice presidential debate, candidates debated if it was better to have a vice president come to ASI internally or externally.
While two of the candidates argued that having ASI experience is not necessary, current ASI Senator Diana Phan argued that having the experience allowed her to see all students’ perspectives.
Jorge Soriano, who served on the Senate for the past two years, suggested that ASI cannot wait for students to come to them like “moths to a flame,” and that ASI should begin getting the information out to students.
The vice presidents also disagreed over Jonathon Bolin’s proposal to have a new scholarship that would cut 33 percent of his salary to provide more money to students.
“I think that cutting 33 percent off our paycheck and stuff is more of a publicity thing,” Priscilla Covarrubias, a candidate for the vice presidency, said. “It’s not gonna make much of a difference. ASI’s budget is $15 million so a few thousand ain’t gonna make a difference to the whole school population so I don’t see the big importance of it.”
Covarrubias’ response stirred a heated debate over Bolin’s proposal.
“For you to say that a student would not want a $1000 scholarship, or a $500 scholarship, or even a $100 for textbooks, I think is very ignorant,” Bolin said in response. “Obviously, you’re not in touch with the student population here. No amount of scholarships is enough until every single student can pay for their own education.”
Covarrubias’ said that Bolin’s cut to his paycheck was a publicity stunt and wouldn’t affect many students.
Phan disagreed saying Bolin’s proposal was noble.
“I think helping any student is a big deal,” Phan said. “By you excluding by saying helping a couple students isn’t a big deal, I think every student counts as a big deal.”