The student body’s presidential and vice-presidential debate on March 30 featured a discussion between six candidates, primarily focused on future plans and goals for Texas State.
The debate consisted of three tickets: the Ajayi-Hammack “Bobcats in Bloom” campaign, Huteson-Marquez “New Horizons” campaign and Beluso-Gunn “Bobcats for Progress” campaign. Each candidate was asked a series of questions by moderator Carolena Estrada before opening questions to audience members.
The debates started with vice-presidential candidates Keller Hammack, Nathan Marquez and Helen Gunn. After the nearly 50-minute debate, candidates Johanna Ajayi, Seth Huteson, and Kristan Beluso took the stage for the presidential Debate, which lasted around an hour and 10 minutes.
Vice-Presidential Debate
Marquez outlined his goals as vice-president, and said the goal of his campaign is to bring transparency, safety, experience and value to Texas State.
Marquez said he wanted to open doors to new students by offering useful degrees and creating transparency, with the main priority being safety.
“What I mean by transparency is kind of a student government people can look at, all students can look at [and] they can trust, even if they can’t see what’s going on inside,” Marquez said.
Gunn spoke second, highlighting student safety, care, empowerment and protection. She wants to reopen the Student Health Center pharmacy, start a night walk program, help ensure that classes won’t be cut due to prejudice and raise the wage of student workers to $20 an hour.
Hammack spoke last, highlighting inclusivity and accessibility in student government, food safety and better transportation.
Hammack said he wants to increase accessibility to food, highlight funding for Bobcat Bounty and implement an emergency meal swipe program.
“We have the ball rolling, we’re getting a new app set up for y’all that will hopefully make the buses a lot more intuitive and user-friendly in the years to come,” Hammack said.
Presidential Debate
During the presidential Debate, candidates Ajayi, Huteson and Beluso built on the comments made during the Vice-presidential debate.
Beluso addressed student questions and criticism regarding the proposed $20 minimum wage for student workers that was first brought up by Gunn.
“[Previous candidates have said] that our $20 an hour minimum wage would be unrealistic. As Helen [Gunn] said, the Hays County minimum [living] wage, according to [the] MIT living wage calculator, is $22.59. A living wage is something that all of us need to survive,” Beluso said.
Beluso said their campaign would fight to help move toward this wage minimum, and referred back to the four main policies in the Bobcats for Progress campaign: safety, care, protection and empowerment.
Ajayi said she wanted the student government to be reflective of the diversity seen on campus and defined three goals: transportation, food security and inclusivity.
“I sometimes feel as if I’ve traveled all over the world, just by walking across campus, because there’s people from different nationalities and countries, and I want student government to reflect that diversity we have on campus,” Ajayi said. “I want you to have leaders who have your best interest in your mind and focus on initiatives that are actually achievable.”
Huteson said the president’s goal is to be a liaison between people with authority and students at Texas State and that he would be the voice for students.
“Texas State, I am here to be your voice. I am here to be your liaison. Whatever you want is what I want,” Huteson said.
Huteson’s campaign goals are transparency, value, safety and experience for every student.
“We want to increase the experience of students, we want to increase the value of your degree and we want to make sure that we are transparent with everything that goes on that you are paying for,” Huteson said.
On April 1, the Beluso-Gunn ticket announced that they would be dropping out of the race in an Instagram post.
Student Government elections began on April 2 at 8:00 a.m. and will close on April 3 at 5:00 p.m. Students can vote through the Bobcat Organization Hub.
