USG candidates face off in debate

Last night, the Undergraduate Student Government presidential and vice-presidential campaign became more heated during the second of three debates.

Scott Nycum, debate and publicity chair of the Elections Commission, issued a warning and reminded candidates of the portion of the election code concerning slanderous statements. Nycum said he believes no violations occurred last night, but some candidates came close at the debate.

• Caroline Casagrande (junior-political science), whose running mate Brian Olivo (junior-advertising) was unable to attend, said their campaign wants to be more issue-oriented, citing issues such as rolling back Loop bus fare to 25 cents and improving student health care in Ritenour.
  

  "This election really needs to become about issues, student issues, not fluffy things," Casagrande said.



• Mario Ciabarra (junior-science) and Allison Szabaga (sophomore-marketing) promoted their campaign platform of putting class notes on the World Wide Web and disputed arguments that the notes would cause poor class attendance.
  

  "These notes are making the classroom interactive to improve education," Ciabarra said.



• Roshani Herath (senior-labor and industrial relations) and Christine Muchi (senior-labor and industrial relations) emphasized the need for the reallocation of University funds from the administration to education.
  

  "Before we go to Harrisburg (to lobby for state funds), we need to know how the money is being spent," Herath said.
  

• Rocco Impreveduto (junior-telecommunications) and Marc Nathan (junior-finance) discussed the feasibility of individual candidates' campaign goals and supported a move toward possible solutions.
  

  "We have to think what is possible for USG," Nathan said.



• Todd Krout (junior-international business management) and Karen Skomorucha (sophomore-international politics) said education was one of their primary concerns, namely hiring more teaching assistants to make large classes seem smaller.
  

  "We want to make students feel like a face in a large class rather than a number," Krout said.



• Andrea Prinzi (junior-political science and administration of justice) and J.P. Jaworski (junior-life sciences) spoke of USG's continued lack of visibility and methods to promote USG.
  

  "We have to get into apathetic students' faces and hand them surveys," Prinzi said.



• Kornelius P. Spankum and Kendra Ciesla (junior-advertising), a write-in campaign, said they understand the needs of University students. They suggested many new student services, including transforming the University Creamery into a micro-brewery.
  

  "I think we should lobby for a monster truck show to demolish the HUB expansion," said campaign worker Andy Nagypal, USG town senator, who interpreted for Spankum.