As the presidential candidates for Ohio University's Student Senate enter their second debate, they see eye to eye on one point - they want to disagree on something.
City and County Affairs Commissioner Emily Hanford, running on the Prepared to Engage, Act and Respond ticket, and Academic Affairs Commissioner Jesse Neader, running on the SOUND ticket, will debate for the second time at 6 tonight in Baker University Center Room 240 as they move toward the May 20 election. This time, the candidates for vice president and treasurer will join the debate.
Both presidential candidates said they were surprised by comments after the last debate about the similarities in their arguments. They share a common goal for the second debate - they want to highlight their differences.
I think (Neader and I) are so different
Hanford said. We know we're different but it doesn't seem that other people know. I hope this debate will let us better express how what we're doing is different.
Neader said he was surprised by the comparisons drawn between Hanford and him as well.
Anyone who knows us would say we're very different Neader said. Both of us will do our best (at the debate) to make sure you know the differences between us.
Tonight's debate will feature one question for the parties as a whole and two for each individual office, as well as questions from the audience, said Matthew Denhart, chairman of the Board of Elections.
We thought the candidates were dodging some of the questions and not giving specific answers (at the last debate)
Denhart said. We're trying to get them to differentiate themselves - they're agreeing a lot.
The candidates for vice president and treasurer from both tickets said they want tonight's debate to show how their teams work together, but also expressed the hope they will be able to share their individual ideas.
Brandon Rudd, a member of the Board of Elections and the moderator for this debate, said he thought students attending the debate would glean more information about the tickets, since all of the executives will speak.
If you're only going to attend one debate
this would be the one to attend
because everyone's going to speak
he said.
P.E.A.R. campaign manager John Calhoun, senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, said he hopes this debate will force candidates to be more specific about their goals and plans.
We heard a lot about diversity and we heard some fantastic buzzwords (at the first debate)
Calhoun said. But from both sides I want to see more sophisticated
intelligent answers that have meaning.
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