Candidates for student body president and vice president face off in a debate noon Monday in the Memorial Student Center lobby.

Matt Jarvis, Nate Miklas and Leif Olson are striving for the student body presidency, while Emily Kinner, Amos Parlock and Collin Stipetich are competing as their respective vice presidents.

The debate will be moderated by students from The Parthenon and WMUL.

Student Government Association adviser Matt James said SGA is hoping to hear more specificity and substance from the candidates during this debate.

“The first debate was kind of a warm up with advisers moderating and asking broadly stated questions,” James said. “We hope the moderators will feel empowered to ask more pointed questions regarding the candidates’ platforms.”

James said nothing is off limits in this debate. James said they’re hoping to hear more about the pressing issues on campus.

“We barely touched on the major issue facing our university – the budget concerns and diminished state funding of higher education,” James said. “I’m hopeful the moderators will also allow for a similarly relaxed environment as the first debate and that the student audience is encouraged to ask questions of their own.”

The candidates participated in a debate Tuesday in Smith Hall. During this debate, candidates were asked a variety of questions, ranging from last month’s failed RFRA resolution to the university’s financial troubles.

During this debate, Jarvis defended his decision to abstain from voting on the failed RFRA resolution last semester. Olson spoke out against the senate’s failed RFRA resolution in the meeting following said decision.

Olson said this would not affect his ability to work with SGA members.

In concern with financial issues at the university, Jarvis and Olson agreed SGA needs to work to show the administration how vital student programs that have lost funding are, while Parlock said he understands these programs are not being cut without reason.

The first half hour will be devoted to questions from the moderators, while the second half will be reserved for questions from the student body.

Nancy Peyton can be contacted at [email protected].