The Marquette University Student Government presidential debate was an opportunity for students to hear from the two tickets with candidates running for president and executive vice president in the March 28 election. It took place in Johnston Hall March 24 at 3 p.m.
The president and executive vice president are responsible for leading MUSG’s senate, allocating funds to student organizations and representing Marquette students to administration as stated at the beginning of the debate.
On one ticket is presidential candidate Sara Manjee, a junior in the College of Business Administration, who is currently the outreach vice president for MUSG. Running alongside her for executive vice president is Dan Brophy, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, who is the legislative vice president for MUSG.
On MUSG’s website, Manjee and Brophy stated they are running “to listen to, learn from, and acknowledge the stories of every student at Marquette.”
They want to work for a Marquette where student voice drives the mission and future of campus, they said.
On the other ticket is presidential candidate Peter Feider, a student in a five-year program who is president pro tempore for the MUSG senate. Faezh Dalieh, a student in a five-year program is the president of the Muslim Student Association and is running as executive vice president.
“We are committed to promoting equity and respect among students on campus; we will strive to forge relationships between communities and students,” Feider and Dalieh said in their platform on MUSG’s website. “Additionally, we want to expand employment opportunities, particularly experiences similar to the co-op program, for students to each of the colleges.”
In their opening statement, Manjee and Brophy shared their slogan for their campaign: “Let’s get started, together.” They said they wanted to hear the stories and voices of students of color, first-generation students and LGBTQ students that are underrepresented on Marquette’s campus.
“Marquette works better when we work together,” Manjee said.
Feider and Dalieh said they would focus on promoting student employment through co-op programs and internships to give students more experiences for their future careers. They also encouraged more information and outreach to students about resources for mental health at Marquette.
The debate covered a range of issues on Marquette’s campus, such as transparency about student organization funding, sustainability and accessibility for students with disabilities on campus.
All the candidates said they believed communication between MUSG and student organizations could be improved.
Manjee and Brophy said they believed in personal outreach to student organizations and creating a coalition with the organizations to start a conversation about funding.
Feider and Dalieh called for more transparency between MUSG and student organizations, and Dalieh said she felt that clearer communication was needed.
Another commonality between the candidates was their beliefs that MUSG needed to reach out to underrepresented groups and voices on Marquette’s campus.
For the topics of racism and sex-biased discrimination on campus, Feider and Dalieh focused on understanding students’ struggles and experiences and informing students of the many resources on campus. They also said they believed Marquette could expand their resources in areas, like mental health.
Manjee and Brophy said they desired continuous training for students on both implicit bias and sex-based discrimination.
Miracle Joy Faller, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences who attended the debate, said the candidates had “heart and passion (for) addressing minorities,” and would be “changing the dynamic” in MUSG.
In their closing statement, Feider and Dalieh said they want to build relationships with students if they were elected because as Dalieh said, “Marquette is everyone’s home.”
Manjee and Brophy said they were also committed to connecting with students on campus, and Brophy said the duo would want to “invite students into conversations.”
Voting opens March 28 at midnight and closes at 10 p.m. Marquette students can vote through MUSG’s website.
