Last night, the Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) hosted the debate for their two presidential candidates: Kevin Camy and running mate Gabriella Savino, and Courtney Sabogal and running mate Amaia O’Brien. Hosted in the Event Hall at the Dolan School of Business, each candidate fielded a variety of questions regarding student experiences and their plans to work with resources and other branches of FUSA.
Questions came from the FUSA Court, the different branches and boards that make up FUSA, as well as students in attendance. The debate was moderated by the FUSA Court. Many members of FUSA were in attendance, as were some students just curious to hear more.
Throughout the debate, Camy and Sabogal made clear their plans should they be elected president.
Camy, a junior majoring in Psychology and Religious Studies with a minor in Education, described a platform with a focus on mental health and wellness, increased dining options and new ways of marketing FUSA to students. Some of his goals include increasing the number of free counseling sessions available to students and expanding the LiveSafe app.
Sabogal, a junior majoring in Communication and Public Relations with a minor in Marketing, shared a platform built upon communication and transparency, campus improvements and student experiences. Some of her goals include improving off-campus access by having the Stag Bus run more frequently and to more locations as well as creating an online appointment system for the Health Center.
Both candidates addressed plans to expand student parking on campus. Sabogal plans to advocate for a parking garage built upon a pre-existing parking lot. The Camy-Savino ticket shared ideas for a scheduling system where students have access to faculty parking for certain hours overnight.
Additionally, the candidates were asked about working to maintain the small classroom sizes Fairfield promises its students, despite the larger sizes of incoming classes.
Camy shared that this is already a conversation but added that he hoped to share firsthand experiences in further discussions. Sabogal highlighted a similar plan, adding that she would bring student testimonies to the discussion.
In an interview with the Mirror after the debate, sophomore Richie Herrera shared, “I came here blind and had no idea what other candidates represented for Fairfield or the FUSA community. Coming here, I wanted to figure out what they were advocating for. They enlightened me on what they plan on doing, so I think it was an excellent debate.” Herrera added his plans to vote for Sabogal and O’Brien.
Another sophomore, John Beam, also came to the debate unsure of who to vote for. He said, “What I hear and hope to see is making students be a part of the decision-making process in FUSA, which I think is important. I’m going to vote for Kevin; I think he has the ability, has been through FUSA and I just think he’s got what it takes to be the president.”
Both Camy and Sabogal also spoke with the Mirror following the debate.
“I think the debate went well. Sharing our platform and stories seemed to resonate with the audience, which was our hope and main objective for tonight,” Camy said.
Camy also requested that students participate in the process, adding, “vote with your conscience; vote for what is important for you. Our platform is based on inclusivity and welcoming students from all backgrounds and spaces.”
Sabogal was also happy with how the debate went. She said, “We are excited about what we got to share because I think we were able to get a whole picture of what we are running and advocating for. We have been involved with FUSA for quite a while. We hold executive board positions, and we hope to implement what we have learned as president and vice president.”
Voting opened last night following the debate with an email sent out to the student body. The polls will remain open until 5 p.m. on Feb. 25 and the winner will be declared at an election party at 6:30 p.m. the same day.
