The presidential and vice presidential candidates for the Michigan Student Assembly squared off in a debate last night in anticipation of MSA elections on Wednesday and Thursday.

Sahib Singh, chair of MSA’s Budget Priorities committee, moderated the debate, which took place in Angell Hall Auditorium D. He asked the candidates questions that students had submitted online.

The presidential candidates — Chris Armstrong of MForward, Ian Margolis of the Michigan Vision Party and Kate Stenvig of the Defend Affirmative Action Party — debated issues like tuition hikes, advocacy for student organizations and the future funding process for MSA. The presidential candidates were asked six questions, with each candidate given the opportunity to answer each one.

The vice presidential candidates include Jason Raymond of MForward, Tom Stuckey of the Michigan Vision Party and Sofia Bolanos of the Defend Affirmative Action Party. After a three-minute opening statement, Singh asked each candidate three questions.

The debate started off with an opening statement from the first vice presidential candidate, Jason Raymond of MForward. Raymond’s past experience includes serving on the MSA Academic Affairs Committee, Budget Priorities Committee, Community Service Committee and Rules and Elections Committee. He is currently the chair of the External Affairs Committee.

“We have become frustrated over the past three years of MSA,” Raymond told the audience. “My goal is to make MSA the center of student advocacy.”

Raymond said MSA’s attempts to solve issues like tuition hikes, dorm life and the drop in minority enrollment has “lacked a sense of advocacy,” adding that increasing advocacy is the main focus of MForward, a party founded by Raymond and Armstrong.

Raymond said that currently, the funding process confuses student organizations. If elected, Raymond said he and Armstrong want to implement workshops to help facilitate the funding process.

During the debate, Raymond called the current funding process “broken.” MVP vice presidential candidate Tom Stuckey retorted that the funding process is not broken, but just needs to be revised. Stuckey used his rebuttal time to mention the universal funding application that will be accessible to student organizations if he is elected as vice president.

This universal funding application, he said, will allow students to only apply once for the school year, whereas now student organizations must apply each semester. Stuckey said after a student organization applies for funding, the application would be forwarded to the funding bodies of all student governments on campus. Right now, organizations must apply for money from each body separately.

Stuckey is a sophomore and current MSA Business School representative. He is the vice chair of the Campus Governance Committee.

Sofia Bolanos, the DAAP vice presidential candidate said her main concern, if elected, would be ensuring the rights of minority students.

“I want to improve campus climate here at this school because it affects everyone,” she said. “We have the most power to make big changes here.”

When Singh asked whether MSA should support the University’s Dearborn campus student government resolution to divest funds from Israel, all of the candidates agreed that MSA should work on campus life before they grapple with broader, international issues.

In response, Raymond discussed his support for the Good Samaritan Law, which he said would improve student life. The law, which is still awaiting a vote from the state Senate, would mean that no student could get a Minor In Possession charge after calling an ambulance for an intoxicated friend.

“We need to lead MSA to listen to the students, to provide to the students and accomplish the goals that MSA needs to do,” he said.