Undergraduate Student Government presidential candidates disagree on whether the University should include the words "sexual orientation" in its non-discrimination policy, but they agree that USG should concentrate on providing services to students.

At the first of three debates leading up to March 27's USG presidential election, Roger Czulewicz (senior-political science) last night called supporting the addition of such a clause a "nice, idealistic stance," but said he does not support the clause's inclusion because it would threaten ROTC's existence on campus. U.S. Defense Department policy prohibits gay men and lesbians from participating in the military.

After the debate, Courtney Malveaux (senior-sociology) also said he does not believe the University should add a clause to its non-discrimination policy. Jim Van Horn (junior-history), Leslie Osborn (senior-advertising) and Mark Stewart (junior-English) said the clause should be included.

"Somehow ROTC has become the people we feel sorry for, instead of the people who are being discriminated against," said Mike LaFlam (senior-human development and family studies), Osborn's running mate.

Czulewicz said early in the debate that he wanted "equality in every sense of the word," but later said he has not seen a need for the clause.

Malveaux said USG must concentrate more on serving students than on political issues. The others agreed that student services are important, and Stewart emphasized the need for "tangible goals."

The candidates also presented plans for improving relations between students and the administration, and for increasing student representation on University policy-making boards.

Stewart said he would like representatives of the Graduate Student Association, Commonwealth Campus Student Government and USG to have permanent seats on the University Board of Trustees.

Malveaux suggested randomly choosing undergraduate students to take the USG president's seat on the Undergraduate Student Advisory Board to present administrators with various student views.

Van Horn suggested restructuring USG by combining USG Senate, USAB and Academic Assembly to communicate as one unit with the administration.

"We would be taking responsibility and not be inviting the same administrators to different meetings," Van Horn said.

Also, candidates disagreed on charging students a fee to fund improvements to the Paul Robeson Cultural Center and the HUB.

Stewart said state and University funding should be balanced, but that students must also play a role in funding construction.

"These are our buildings," Stewart said.

Malveaux and Czulewicz suggested students hold fundraisers.

But LaFlam said the University should pay for a new cultural center because it agreed to it when students staged a sit-in at the Telecommunications Building in 1988. He said a student fee is "unthinkable."

All candidates said they would push for improved health care on campus.

The candidates will meet again March 19 at 7 p.m. in Findlay Rec Room in a debate focusing on the role of student groups at the University.