SGA presidential candidate Darwin Butler, enjoys a hot dog at a campaign event for his opponents, the Reformation slate, Friday. Reformation presidential candidate Jacqueline Anderson (right) and vice-presidential candidate Carrie Mowen look on. The barbecue, held at the Honors College, took place one day after police removed Butler from a similar Reformation slate barbecue event at U Meadows.

Candidates for the three executive offices of the Student Government Association held a debate Wednesday responding to questions posed by panelists and audience members.

Candidates for president are Jacqueline Anderson, a sophomore biology major and current SGA treasurer, and Darwin Butler Sr., a junior majoring in business administration and president of the Organization for Producing Successful Black Men and Women. Vice-presidential candidate, Carrie Mowen, University Program Board president and senior anthropology major, was running unopposed before the debate but was challenged by Steven Wolfe, a graduate student of UM-St. Louis, as a write-in candidate during the meeting. Running for the office of comptroller is Bryan Shaw, a senior majoring in accounting, finance, and management information systems and president of Pierre Laclede Honors College Student Association, and Jana Johnson, also a senior majoring in accounting. Johnson, who is running on a slate with Butler, was unable to attend the debate.

Anderson, Mowen, and Shaw are running on the "Reformation" party slate. Anderson said that because of her experience in the last year in the SGA, she is aware of the things that went on that did not work well or help the SGA function as well as it could have. She said she wants the students of UM-St. Louis to feel like the SGA is available and accessible to them and will work attentively to represent their needs.

"I've also been able to see what hasn't worked well, what needs change," Anderson said.

She also addressed concerns about apathy within the SGA. Anderson said that she will be dedicated to attending all vital campus meetings so that she can express the concerns of the student body. She also believes she will be able to drum up new support for the SGA by making it more student-oriented. She wants to ensure the SGA office will be open to students.

"It would be very beneficial to get the word out, let everybody know, spark some interests, talk to people face-to-face . . . let them know that we want them to be a part of the University," she said.

A panelist asked about an SGA office located on South Campus and what Anderson thought of it.

"I think that is a . . . wonderful idea," Anderson said. "A lot of times South Campus feels excluded . . . It would let them feel that we do care and we are concerned with what they believe and what they want."

Mowen also said involving the students more in the student government is vital to the success and effectiveness of the organization. She said the commuter college aspect of the campus contributes to the problem of lack of student involvement.

"Word of mouth is the best way [to get students involved]," Mowen said. "Target the freshmen."

Shaw also addressed the goals of his "Reformation" party slate such as increasing student and organizational involvement. He said that his experience as the president of the student association at the Honors College taught him how to market programs in innovative ways.

"I strongly desire to be a member of a team where we work as a team, where everybody supports each other," Shaw said. "[W]e can raise each other up together rather than everybody striving to push their own interests."

Presidential candidate Butler raised concerns about mandatory fees for the students of UM-St. Louis. He is concerned that UM-St. Louis parking fees are high compared to the other colleges in the area and that parking is in short supply. Butler said he wants to know if the ticketing of students is anticipated revenue by the University. He suggests that a flat rate for parking may better serve the needs of the students.

"We have 11,286 students currently enrolled. We have 3,562 student parking spaces. So obviously there is a dilemma."

He also is interested in exploring options for student activity fees and computing fees wherein those fees could be made optional or put on a per-use basis. He said that tuition is also very high when compared to the area community colleges.

"We don't want to wait for change," Butler said. "Sometimes conflict is good . . . We pay our tuition now. We pay for parking now. We want change now."

Butler said that the leader of the SGA should be concerned with the diversity issues of UM-St. Louis. He said that the band that will be playing at the Mirthday celebration, The Urge, is one that he has never heard of and suggests a more diverse selection of bands would benefit the University. He said that there should be diverse bands at every campus event.

"Diversity has got to be dealt with on this campus. That's something that needs to be dealt with," Butler said, "diversity and the self-centeredness of the [SGA]."

Butler was asked by the panel if he would continue to petition the Board of Curators for inclusion of sexual orientation in the anti-discrimination policy. Both he and Anderson said they supported the change.

"Everybody deserves equal representation," Butler said. "You started the program, [and] the Board of Curators keeps turning you down; maybe you need to change the way you package that program. Maybe we need a little bit more force behind the program . . . You sometimes can't just knock on the door to get something doneŃsometimes you have to kick it in. You can't sugarcoat all issues."

Elections to choose SGA officers will be held Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at various locations around campus.