RHA candidates to debate party platforms

As campus winds down from the IUSA election frenzy, campaigns for the Residence Housing Association are heating up with an executive ticket debate forum tonight in preparation for the March 2 election.\nThe Amplify and Connect tickets will face off at 7 p.m. in the Foster Harper formal lounge.\nIncumbent RHA president and senior Eric Hafner said tonight's debate will be a crucial step in the RHA campaign trail.\n"Depending on how many students come out, these debates can have a huge impact on the outcome of the election," Hafner said. \nRepresentatives of both tickets stressed the importance of tonight's debate.\nJunior Jon Greene, presidential candidate for the Amplify ticket and current vice president of student affairs, said his party is looking forward to the debate. \n"We feel really comfortable with our platform, so we're looking forward to tonight's opportunity," he said. \nGreene, who is running alongside Jennifer Dunning for vice president of programming, Andrew Walker for vice president of internal affairs, and Paul York for vice president of student affairs, said his party has already received a lot of student support.\n"We've already been getting a bunch of support from outside people who like what we're doing and like our ideas," Greene said. "We're here for the students, and we've already started working for the students."\nJunior John Palmer, presidential candidate for the Connect ticket and Collins Living-Learning Center president, said his party has also started putting its platform's initiatives into action. \n"We have already been working on making these ideas a reality," Palmer said. "Basically, we've been making sure that we're solid with our issues, and we're really making an effort to be informed about the issues we're raising."\nHafner, who also serves as co-elections commissioner, will be moderating tonight's debate. Hafner said he plans to ask questions regarding general platform issues and will also open up the floor for questions. The debate forum should be seen as an opportunity for students to voice their concerns to the candidates, Hafner said. \nRHA, which was founded to involve student opinions in important decisions in the Division of Residential Programs and Services, consists of executive, legislative and judicial branches at the campus-wide level and in each residence hall. \nThe Connect ticket is focused on fostering a better connection between the administration and students, Palmer said. \n"The main point of our platform lies in our slogan, 'connecting the students' voice to the administration's ear,'" Palmer said. "If there's a problem, we want to know about it -- even if it's a problem coming from just one person. There are so many complications that occur when an individual tries to raise an issue with the administration."\nThe Connect ticket's platform is also focused on establishing a board of programmers to help plan campus events, improve diversity and expand food services, according to its Web site, www.connectrha.com. \nAmplify ticket's Greene said his ticket is focusing on fulfilling its campaign promises. \n"We will not put anything on our platform that is not already on the table and is not feasible," Greene said. "We have to be realistic. We're going to hold ourselves accountable to bring these things to action."\nGreene said his campaign is focusing on increasing student involvement in the residence halls.\n"We really want to get student groups back in the residence halls again," Greene said. "With freshmen now being required to live in the residence halls, it'd be great for more external student groups to get involved in the residence halls because freshmen are the ones with the fire -- they're the ones who are the most motivated." \nAmplify's campaign goals, which are outlined on its Web site, http://amplify.ads.iu.edu, also include revamping the IU-TV Web site and holding regular discussion meetings for anyone living in residence halls to come and talk directly to the executive director of RPS, Pat Connor. \nPalmer, who is running alongside Vic Grossi for vice president of programming, Joe Reid for vice president of internal affairs, and Randall Sundt for vice president of student affairs on the Connect ticket, also said he wants to encourage students to become more involved in the RHA election process. \n"It'd be great to see a lot of students turn out to the debates," Palmer said. "I'm actually not sure what to expect. One of the issues we've been trying to push is voter involvement. Even if students don't necessarily vote for us, we'd still really like to encourage them to get involved and vote."\nHafner said he is satisfied with his reign as president and is looking forward to tonight's debate.\n"If I had any advice to offer the candidates for tonight," Hafner said, "I'd urge them to be honest and to follow through with what they say they're going to do."\nOnly students living in the residence halls will be able to vote March 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. near their center desks with a valid student ID.