Free speech

Free speech has been a hot topic of debate this year, first with the visit by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and most recently in regards to the proposed ban of the gossip website juicycampus.com. The candidates debated on what the student council's role should be in navigating questions of free speech and how much power the councils should wield in deciding what students should have access to on the Internet. As one candidate's platform stated: the correct decision may not be the popular one - both candidates were asked to defend their positions and their previous votes on the topic.

Financial aid

Financial aid reform and increases in financial aid have dominated several student council runs in years past. In light of changes at several other prestigious universities and intense student demand, the university announced earlier this month sweeping changes to financial aid, particularly for the middle class. The candidates were questioned on what they hoped to realistically accomplish, given the university's limited endowment. Also discussed: proposals to decrease day to day living costs and the high cost of textbooks in the bookstore.

Questions from outgoing presidents

Outgoing presidents of the CCSC and ESC both had an opportunity to question the candidates on the impact they hoped to make and what they though their roles should be in council.

Student space

Lerner 6 had been promised by every candidate for president but to this day still remains a storage space for the university. In fact, Letnet itself is not exclusively for the use of undegraduate students. The candidates debate propssls to change the sixth floor if Lerner to advising offices, ways to reduce the space crunch on campus, and how to make reserving space a more steamlined process.

Club funding

The student life fee paid by all students every semester goes into an activities fund for the council's. Club funding had long been an issue if debate - how the decisions should be made, how transparent the process should be, how much students should be involved and how much control over their finances student clubs should have. The candidates discuss funding at Columbia and their proposals for how to make the process more fair and accessible.

Green issues

Students on campus have in recent years expressed concerns on the state if the planet and how they may help in the greening if campus. Housing and dining services had worked to make recycling and energy conservation larger issues on campus. The candidates discuss their individual plans to promote recycling and energy conservation in campus.

The debate concluded with a discussion of changes to the core curriculum and the demands of the hunger strikers. The Ginger strikers did not go to the student councils before proceeding with their protest and the candidates discussed how student council may go about being the voice if the student body.