SGA candidates running for positions in both the executive and legislative branches took part in a debate highlighting their platforms. 

The event on March 6 was divided into two segments. One segment involved a debate between the two presidential and vice-presidential candidates on the ballot, and one segment dedicated time for senate candidates to answer questions. 

Presidential ticket debate 

Senator of Multicultural Affairs Ben Moses is running for president with running mate Senator of Clubs, Organizations and Greek Life Asher Early. They are running against Vice President Aidan Burke and his running mate Senator of Innovation Isabella Polombo.  

Burke was unable to attend the debate due to his car breaking down in the Denver area, so Polombo represented their campaign individually. 

Each side was asked 12 formal questions and two follow up questions, one for each campaign. Answers were limited to two minutes per question. Opposing candidates were allowed a one-minute rebuttal.  

Moses discussed the need for improved campus engagement and accessibility in his opening statement. 

“When we talk about accessibility, we primarily believe that there should be more access to resources, programs and initiatives through effective and transparent communication with SGA,” Moses said.  

Polombo said that SGA needs to have more accountability and transparency in her opening statement. Her and Burke’s main campaign initiative is community building among the diverse communities that make up the student body.  

“Our campaign runs not only on the idea of what we will do, but on the fact that we have proactively done things to make change across campus … Aidan and I are passionate about advocacy and are the best candidates up here that can advocate for you,” Polombo said.  

Both campaigns discussed goals for their administration.  

Moses explained the events and collaborative efforts that he and Early are planning to take if elected. They are hoping to plan events like grocery bingo, an end-of-year block party and more big concerts throughout the year with the goal of increasing engagement.  

Moses and Early have started collaboration efforts with the Military and Veteran Affairs Center, with plans to allocate $10,880 to create two tutoring positions to support the 27% of military affiliated students. 

“By providing the Military and Veterans Center with two additional tutors, we can better accommodate active duty and veteran service members … Military affiliated students are not able to be on campus as much as traditional students are, so they sometimes need that extra support,” said Moses.  

Moses and Early also plan to collaborate with the Wellness Center to install vending machines stocked with Narcan, fentanyl test strips and condoms around campus. 

Early discussed potential re-vamping of the club funding process, both to make it easier for students attempting to submit proposals, and to assure that all club funding isn’t allocated by the spring semester.  

Polombo said her and Burke’s goals are to be focused on student engagement, transparency and community building. Polombo criticized the current SGA, saying that it lacks the transparency that students deserve.  

“SGA is failing students and multicultural student unions right now, and that needs to change,” said Polombo. 

To increase engagement, Polombo said that she and Burke plan to collaborate with Residence Life and Housing, the Ent Center and the deans of the colleges on campus to plan events that create communities between students.  

“We really want to focus on developing communities for academics on our campus. Many of us are disconnected from our majors. That’s a problem, especially when all of us come to school — not only for the education piece, but for the networking aspect as well,” Polombo said. 

Both sides said the federal threats on DEI are the biggest problem impacting students and the university.  

Moses and Early said that while DEI programs are being threatened on the federal level, those values will still be upheld by SGA.  

“We want to let people know that DEI is not going anywhere, and togetherness will always happen,” Early said.  

Polombo agreed with her opponents, adding that transparency is important during times of uncertainty.  

“There has been a lot of uncertainty on our campus on what the next steps will be. Aiden and I plan on addressing this with transparency and clear communication with clubs and organizations about what is going on with these policies,” Polombo said.  

Senate candidate discussions 

Of the 15 senator candidates on the ticket, seven attended the debate. Four of the seven candidates that were present are running for senator-at-large. There are 7 available senator-at-large positions on senate. 

Stefen Hoffmann is running for senator-at-large. He explained that, if elected, his goal would be to collaborate with students one-on-one to understand what they really need.  

“One of the reasons I am running is because I have heard from many students about the need for free or reduced-price printing, so I would like to address that issue, if elected,” Hoffmann said.  

Catalina Clay is running for senator-at-large. Clay said she is running because she wants to be more involved with the UCCS community and build relationships with students to advocate for those who cannot use their voices. As a freshman, she wants to ensure that other freshmen are aware of their on-campus resources.  

“Getting involved with all the different aspects of [a university], such as getting to know clubs, tutoring centers and everything else, can be difficult for incoming freshman … I want to make sure that everyone feels welcome and does not waste any time at UCCS,” Clay said.  

Joe Bate is running for senator-at-large. Bate has a military background, having served seven years of active duty. He is involved with several scientific organizations and clubs, and with this, has experience in securing funding for projects. Bate is running on a platform focused on transparency, inclusivity and collaboration.  

“I come from this scientific mindset, that we are in one system here. In order for that system to run efficiently and to make everybody happy, we need to include the entire system, meaning that we need to include the student body in decision making,” Bate said.  

Wallat Gozeh, the final senator-at-large candidate, is running on a platform focused on cooperation, collaboration and communication. He said his main focus is on BAC and club funding, specifically, how to address BAC allocation and its club funding during the fall semester.  

“The core problem that this campus faces is a budget crisis. This year, we started with $170,000, and in three months, we were back at zero. At the beginning of the year, there is a race to secure funding. To address this issue, we can either cap the number of clubs allowed at each BAC meeting, or allow each club to submit a proposal once a month,” Gozeh said.  

Emanuella Appiah, who serves as a senator-at-large, is running for senator of multicultural affairs. Appiah is the vice president of the African Student Association, a member of Sisterhood club and the Black Student Union. As the senator of multicultural affairs, Appiah said she would focus on representing under-represented community members.  

“The goal of this position is making sure that there are safe places for students of color on campus … But, also, to make sure that those students are represented, and their voices are heard. Sometimes when there is not a large population on campus, things can go overlooked,” Appiah said. 

Brianna Fraker is running for senator of nursing and health sciences, a seat that was empty this year. Her campaign addresses federal funding cuts for health sciences and advocating for students impacted by the cuts.  

“The most difficult thing as a student right now, especially in the science realm, is funding. In the current political world, it is very hard to receive funding, even for clubs and organizations, let alone the funding cuts we’ve had in research and opportunities for our science department. Having the ability to recognize that and step forward and be an advocate is the first step to making change,” Fraker said.  

Olivia Abeyta is running for senator of clubs, organizations and Greek life. Abeyta wants to be an advocate for clubs and organizations by being in constant contact with them. 

“To engage with even more students, since most students are on social media, I will make sure that they know I am on there and open to talking to them … I want to make sure I am engaging with them in person, and be a personable person they can go to,” Abeyta said.  

Absent candidates:  

• Chi Idika – senator at large (reelection) 

• Shivani Sharma – senator of engineering (reelection) 

• Brittany Iheomamere – senator of commuter students (reelection)  

• Sam Kopessa – senator of letters arts and sciences (reelection) 

• Evan Martin – senator of engineering 

• Teri Kear – senator of education 

• Skylaa Van Linn – senator of military affairs 

• Cienna Daniels – senator of business 

• Jodan Vasconcellos – director of finance 

SGA voting will begin March 10 at 9 a.m., and close March 14 at 4 p.m. Polling stations will be located near Big Cat Coffee in University Center, and online voting links will be sent via email.  

Students can learn more about each presidential campaign through Burke and Polombo’s and Moses and Early’s Q&As conducted by the Scribe.  

Editor’s Note: Senate Candidate questions and the Presidential debate were both moderated by the Co-Editor-in-Chiefs of the Scribe, Joseph Impellitteri and Zee O’Donnell.