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Candidates to debate today
 Dan Johnson
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 Dan Martinez
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 Brett Sween
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Candidates for student government president and vice president will participate in debates today in preparation for next week's elections.
The debates, which will be moderated by the student government election committee, will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on the Atwood Mall. The three candidates are: Dan Johnson, and running mate, Brad Carlson; Dan Martinez, and running mate, Gordie Loewen; and Brett Sween, and running mate, Desiree Westby.
Johnson is a senior and political science major. He was a senator-at-large in the student government last year, and ran for student government president. His running mate, Carlson, is a sophomore political science major. Carlson has not worked in the student government before, but has held an executive position in his fraternity, and has two years of leadership experience in the ROTC.
Johnson and Carlson are running under the newly formed Greek ticket, which is also supporting 12 senate candidates. The Greek Party is made up of the Greek Houses Association, the ROTC, the Crew Team, Delta Sigma Pi, the College Republicans, and the College Libertarians.
Johnson said he feels that changes need to be made within student government. "We are going to be proactive, and change the way student government does things. People talk about doing a lot of things, we're actually going to do them," he said.
Among their goals are to neutralize the inequity of program funding, rededicate the student government to protecting and promoting student media, and hiring a campus lawyer to represent the student body on a number of issues.
Martinez is a junior who has a double major in Spanish and economics. In this, his first year with student government, he is a senator-at-large, and has been involved with various committees. Loewen is an undeclared third-year student, chairs the student services committee and is the MSUSA campus rep.
Martinez and Loewen have said that their candidacy will focus on empowering students.
"One of the ways we can control the quality of our education is to control the quality of our services," Loewen said. "We are for the self-determination of students, based on adequate funding, as well as unbiased and unbigoted, universal access to education."
Martinez said he plans to follow precedents set in the California State School system, and increase student incorporation into control of health, food, and housing services. His plans also include an attempt to stabilize tuition increases, and efforts to establish a link with the community.
"Helping students is what matters to me, not boosting my resume," he said. "Even if people don't vote for me, they should come out and vote, and participate."
Rounding out the list of candidates is Sween, a fourth-year student double majoring in accounting and communication studies.
Sween is a student government senator for the college of business, and chaired the student government finance committee in his sophomore year. Sween is running with Westby, a senior majoring in communication studies, as well as mass communications, with an emphasis in public relations.
Westby is the chair of the student government public relations committee.
Sween and Westby intend to bridge the gap for what they feel is a fractured student body.
"There are so many small, specific interest groups, that are isolated from each other, and we want to bring them together," Sween said. "Instead of having the administration, the student government and various organizations attacking each other all the time, we need to form a partnership."
Sween and Westby have both said that they want to stay away from making promises they can't keep.
"I have seen four (student government) presidents since I've been here, and they have all made promises they can't come through on. We don't want to do that," Sween said.
Sween added that he and Westby would facilitate change instead of dictating it.
"I'm one student in 15,000," Sween said. "I shouldn't decide what changes to make. Student government should be there to open up the channels for others, and not to push our own agenda."
The candidates will debate today, and then prepare for elections, which will be held April 24 and 25.
Students are encouraged to attend the debates, and to vote next week. Also on the ballot will be senatorial positions, as well as a referendum to pass the updated student constitution.
Jake Zisla can be reached at: [email protected]
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