Watch the first ever televised ASASU presidential debate, sponsored by the Web Devil and Sun Devil Television, on Channel 2 Monday and Tuesday. To see a photo slideshow of the debate, click here.
To vote in the ASASU election, click here.
Associated Students of ASU presidential candidates Mike Leingang and Meghan Cox went head-to-head Friday night and discussed ASASU's future in the first ever student government televised debate.
"We're flipping ASASU on it's head," Leingang said, regarding the passage of Senate Bill 57, which will require a new constitution for ASASU. "We're looking at what needs to be changed and making dramatic changes within that."
Leingang, who represents the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in the student senate, was one of the original sponsors of the bill to dismantle ASASU.
Cox said she sees an opportunity to bring more students into the mix, including Greek Life and the Residence Hall Association, through the constitutional convention.
Cox, who currently serves as director of the college councils, also said with a new university president and a new constitution, it is a unique time for students to have their collective voice represented through a new student body president.
"It's important that we have student issues represented the most," Cox said. "Whether it's graduate, undergraduate - they need to be up in the forefront."
The debate, sponsored by the Web Devil and Channel 2, was taped Friday evening at the KAET studios at Stauffer Hall. It was aired on Channel 2 through the weekend, and will continue to be aired during the run-off election Monday and Tuesday.
Despite differing views on how ASASU should be operated, both candidates agreed about the necessity for ASASU to work in conjuncture with ASU's new president.
Cox said she met with outgoing president Lattie Coor frequently last year and said the new ASASU president should work to engage the new university president with the student government.
"It's very important for (the new university president) to have student input and - to be recognized as a student leader - to work with him in that aspect," Cox said.
Leingang offered a similar view on how student government should work with ASU's new president. He described a future which includes a potentially more-effective student government, and the possibility of an effective university president, as a "great time."
According to Leingang, the incoming ASU president could be very receptive to ASASU's revamped constitution because of his unfamiliarity with the old, ineffective one.
"(The new president) won't know the old system, so we get to educate him on the new system and let him know…how it's going to affect students," Leingang said. "That's something we've been working on big-time in the senate this year."
The debate format allowed the candidate receiving a question a two-minute response time. The other candidate could offer a rebuttal to the answer with a one-minute response.
However, Cox was accidentally cut short of responding to a question posed to Leingang about Senate Bill 57.
She submitted a written response after the debate:
"I have been a strong advocate of SB 57 during the last election, although I did not have voting power as Senator to push through such
bill. However, while my opponent merely supported the bill, I am currently chairing one of the most important Committees in the Constitutional Convention - the Executive Committee - the Committee responsible for basically restructuring ASASU - and the executive offices. I am also looking for a seperate Graduate Student Government."
