The Student Government Association (SGA) held its 2024 Presidential Debate on Monday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. Candidates running for president, vice president and student trustee all took to the podium to debate the biggest issues facing the University of Massachusetts campus.

The debate was moderated by Massachusetts Daily Collegian Head News Editor Jack Underhill and Assistant News Editors Daniel Frank and Abby Joyce, who also kept time for each candidate during the debate.

The night began with a preliminary speech by Underhill, who introduced the debate’s rules and randomly selected the first candidates for opening statements. During the debate, each candidate or ticket was allowed two-and-a-half minutes for opening and closing statements, one minute for each question asked and 30 seconds for rebuttal if directly mentioned by an opponent.

This year, there were three presidential tickets present at the debate. Starting off the debate was freshman Kundayi Mazando, a double major in political science and economics, and her running mate for VP Meghan Welch, a freshman legal studies major. While it’s Mazando and Welch’s first year at UMass, they argue that their age doesn’t define them.

“We are freshmen here at UMass and we want to be able to make some real change here. That is why we’re running for office so early,” Mazando said. “When in office, we want to focus on helping to combat racism here at UMass, making sure that the SGA is very interactive with the classes, especially the freshmen.”

Write-in candidate Joel Carey, a freshman psychology major who attended the debate without a running mate, echoed Mazando’s remarks about first-year leadership on campus. “I have not been here very long, and it’s been such an amazing experience here so far. My goal here is to do what the students want and prioritize the student voice. The students are the main engine for allowing us to do our job, and I want to help improve student life organizations here on campus.”

Colin Humphries, a junior political science major, and his running mate Dale Leone, a junior history major, highlighted their previous experience as senators representing the class of 2025. “One of the biggest takeaways from my time in the SGA is that we have powerful, student-oriented leadership. We can do great things for the student body. We have the ability to be a powerful advocate for the students, and I believe Dale and I’s experience, as well as our commitment and drive to make this campus a better place, makes us the perfect candidates for SGA president and vice president,” Humphries said.

When asked how to ensure the safety of Jewish and Muslim students on campus in response to the Israel-Hamas war, Mazando said, “As much as I’d like to say that civility solves all issues, to say civility means to be passive. I believe that there needs to be actual work done in order to make sure everybody’s voice is heard.”

She continued, “We need more conversations with UMass Police because last semester, there were mass arrests during the protests that were at the Whitmore building… This is America, our First Amendment right is freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and we must respect that for all groups.”

Humphries and Leone believe negotiations with UMass administrators will help ensure student safety during this time of unrest. “I’ve been a conduct advisor for a few years and as a conduct advisor, we have the power to report instances of hate on campus. And because I have a direct relationship with admin, if I say something to make sure we get it done, they’ll get done,” Leone said.

He continued, “The SGA has taken a lot of steps recently to address this issue. Our current administration did a wonderful job last semester having Israel-Palestine teaching, teaching the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict… we’re not perfect, and we’re always striving to make this university a more knowledgeable place so that we can all accept each other.”

Carey argues the answer to a peaceful campus environment will arise from direct conversations with UMass students. “In regards to the protest that happened in the Whitmore building, you know, everybody here has a right to have their voice heard… What I want to do is sit down with the administration. I want to sit down with the students, and actively figure out the ways that we can work towards getting what we need to get done, accomplished and prioritized. If we addressed that, I think it will promote a lot of good things going forward for the administration and SGA.”

Following the presidential questions, the two candidates for student trustee took to the podium for their portion of the debate. Every year, each of the five UMass campuses across the Commonwealth elect a student trustee to represent the university on the greater UMass Board of Trustees, advocating for the needs of that specific campus’s student body.

First up was Felicity Oliveira, a junior double-majoring in marketing and legal studies. Through her three years of experience at UMass’s financial aid office, she has seen firsthand how the University has become more unaffordable over time.

“As a first-generation American student, I personally experience the financial burdens other students face… If elected UMass student trustee, I’m committed to advocating for policies that will lead to affordable tuition and transparent housing costs,” Oliveira said.

She added, “To drive these necessary changes forward, I will work to advocate for direct discussions with influential figures such as Elizabeth Warren, the Treasury and other government officials to address the pressing issues. Restoring trust and shrinking our relationship with the Board of Trustees is paramount.”

For junior political science and natural resources conservation double-major Carol DeRose, the biggest issues currently impacting the UMass campus are a lack of affordability and accessibility for people with disabilities. “If elected student trustee, I would advocate strongly for all students, specifically in regards to opposing tuition increases and expanding accessibility infrastructure on all UMass campuses,” DeRose said.

DeRose, who was previously elected as SGA’s associate speaker for two consecutive terms, also plans to advocate for academic accessibility. “Professors aren’t accommodating academic accommodations, which can lead to severe disadvantages for many students… If elected, I would advocate for more funding for Disability Services to maximize the healthcare of the students and to also maximize outreach so that students know the resources available to them.”

Voting for SGA president, vice president and student trustee opens at midnight on Monday, March 11, and is open until Wednesday, March 13 at 11:59 p.m.

Nathan Legare can be reached at [email protected]. Grace Lee can be reached at [email protected].