Candidates for vacant positions in the Student Government Association sparred last Monday in an officially sponsored debate.

While the highlight of the debate featured candidates for the presidency, Senate candiates were also given an opportunity to introduce themselves and give their positions on issues likely to come before the SGA Senate during their terms.

Only one Senate race is contested, in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Six candidates are vying for three positions.

However, of the six candidates in Humanities and Fine Arts, only four were present at the debate. Candidates Beau Grant and Erin Smith were absent.

Vice presidential candidate Chris Cherry and secretary general candidate Lindsey Sutherland, both representing the Effective Connections Party, are unopposed.

Incumbent President James Orr, leader of the Effective Connections Party, touted his accomplishments during the past year as reason for his re-election during the debate.

“The most important experience I have is that I’m the student body president,” Orr said. “By the time you learn the process (of SGA), it’s the second semester.”

Orr said now that he knows the procedures of SGA, he’s “ready to hit the ground running.”

Challenger Sen. Erin Chambers, who is running as an independent, cited her leadership in several campus organizations as being her strength.

“I’ve had leadership positions across campus, and I know what happens outside of SGA. The ordinary students need a voice,” Chambers said.

Orr said there is no need for change, that during his presidency, he helped students communicate with SGA through Communcation Days, had presidents’ roundtables, gave away travel-study scholarships and passed an internship coordinator position. Chambers countered that many of those proposals were in place before Orr’s inauguration.

Orr said his leadership style is to “turn obstacles into opportunities,” while Chambers said a leader is someone who wants change and makes a plan of action.

Orr said his platform would move SGA forward, not backward. He said Chambers’ platform includes things SGA is already working on, but Chambers countered that more changes are needed, especially in improving student organization relations.

Orr said he wanted to implement a “freeze week,” where no exams or major assignments could be given before final exams, as well as mandating Executive Council members to have meetings with student organizations.

Chambers said she wanted to work to have more involvement with the Martin community and work on statewide lottery reform.

Orr said the upcoming search for a vice chancellor for Student Affairs is the most important SGA activity, and that he established a forum for students to ask questions of the candidates. However, a similar forum was already planned.

Chambers said her priority would be to further strenghten non-greek student organizations through the establishment of a Student Organization Center.