Candidates to debate outside Willard

If Mohammed doesn't come to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed.

"If students don't come to the debates, we're bringing the debates to the students," Loccarini said.

The USG Elections Commission planned three debates for all candidates. About 50 students, mostly campaign workers, attended each of the first two debates. Head Elections Commissioner Angelo Annese said he has no problem with the candidates holding a debate, but he emphasized it is not an official campaign event.

Gary Cattell, the Willard Preacher, who has supported Loccarini in the past, will be the moderator, Pirrotta said. There is no set format for the debate.

"It's going to be . . . organized chaos," Pirrotta said.

• Wesley Bowser plans to attend the event because it promises to be a more relaxed setting than the formal debates.
  

  "It might be fun -- definitely more fun than the first debate," Bowser said. "Gary doesn't scare me. I like him. I think he's funny."
  

• Jason Covener is concerned about the bias of the moderator, but plans to attend the debate to reach students and head off a campaign stunt.
  

  "Loccarini ain't gonna take over as long as I'm there," Covener said.
  

• Jaime Desmond and John Polk will not attend because they say they are satisfied with the three debates offered by the commission.
  

  "(Willard) is not the place to debate the serious issues in a forum that may not be taken as seriously," Desmond said.
  

• Thane Fake plans to attend, although he said if the debate gets out of hand, he will leave.
  

  "We're going in the hope that Darin . . . is acting in good faith and this will be an issue-oriented debate and the moderator will be fair," Fake said.
  

• Michael Landsberg and Brent Barbe both plan to attend, but give a warning to other attendees who will be there.
  

  "We would like to warn the other candidates to wear clothes they don't mind getting dirty," Landsberg said.
  

• David Lubkemann will attend in hopes that Loccarini and Cattell will stay in the spirit of the elections.
  

  "People will be able to discuss what really concerns them," Lubkemann said.
  

• Blaine Rummel and Kendra Ciesla will be represented by either Ciesla or another member of the campaign, Rummel said.
  

  "We feel that we should give the ticket the respect to show up and see what will happen," Rummel said.
  

• Hank Saur plans to attend because, he said, a willingness to debate the issues anytime anywhere is necessary for a USG president.
  

  "For once, Loccarini is right that we have to have this debate where every student is," Saur said.