On Monday, March 12, student body presidential and vice-presidential candidates met in the Shawkey Dining Room to have their second debate.
Topics for the debate included: civil discourse, a main element of each presidential platform, a more successful fraternity and sorority campus, how candidates would each work with the board of governors on projects for students, including views on tuition raises, and also how the presidential and vice-presidential candidates intend to work together to get things done in office with each other and with other cabinet members.

Jeremiah Parlock and Rachel Delaney discussed how they want to improve transparency between student government and students within their platform. Parlock said he wants to accomplish this with releasing policies and financial things that are being changed, taken care of or progressed through student government. This would include how financial aspects are being used in student government. These releases would be a monthly announcement, according to the candidate.

“We want to advocate for the student,” Delaney said.

Madison Davis and Madison Parker were asked to speak more on their disability element in their platform. According to Parker, there are over 400 students at Marshall University registered with a disability; however, there are more students on campus who may have a disability that are not registered as such within the university. Davis and Parker said they want to create more of an awareness and inclusion on this topic for students at Marshall.

“We want to have a panel for the students with disabilities on campus, so that we can talk with them,” Parker said. “This will allow a first-hand open conversation with them. That way I know what the best thing to do for them is.”
Marcus Tucker and Noelle Soares said they want to work on more diversity within organizations on campus, but specifically more religious group diversity within the university.

“We want students to learn more and respect diversity with different religions on campus,” Soares said.

Tucker and Soares said they want to do this by creating more religious panel discussions on campus and have religious groups on campus have more events that welcome those within all religious backgrounds.

Hunter Barclay and Hannah Petracca were asked to elaborate more on their mental health platform. They said they want to implement more of an awareness to mental health on campus. They said they would start by trying to give students a “no-questions-asked” excused mental health day one day during every semester. Barclay said that nearly 52 percent of college students have a form of mental illness, including depression and anxiety. Barclay argues that these feelings lead to an increased possibility of suicide.

“This mental health statistic is horrifying,” Barclay said. “It is a matter of life or death.”

Voting will occur today and Wednesday.

Briana Murphy can be contacted at [email protected].