USC Undergraduate Student Government presidential hopefuls will square off in a debate Thursday night.
The candidates will gather at 7 p.m. in Wallis Annenberg Hall and USG members are hoping Thursday’s debate will reverse historically low voter turnout.
Students may reserve their seats in advance.
“The premise here is civic engagement,” Paul Yi, USG’s Chief Communications Officer, said of the upcoming debate. “It’s the opportunity for [the candidates] to expand upon their platform points and what they’ve expressed thus far in the election, and also for the audience, which can be practically anyone, to come and be witness to that.”
Five campaigns have thrown their hats in the ring: Yoav Gillath (P) and Monica Rodriguez (VP), Miko Mariscal (P) and Andrew Taw (VP) , Divya Jakatdar (P) and Michelle Lu (VP), Devin Ayala (P) and Navya Singh (VP), and Aidan Feighery (P) and Ashley Ka (VP).
Hannah Woodworth, a senior studying journalism, was elected USG president last year with 55% of the vote. She said the 2023 election season differs from years past.
“This is the first time we’ve had five presidential candidates at a presidential debate in a really long time,” Woodworth said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of back and forth and, I hope, a wide array of different opinions and perspectives.”
Candidates have scattered campaign signs up and down Trousdale, aiming to generate name recognition. But Woodworth said posters and social media advertising won’t be enough to connect with voters.
“What does that really say about someone? Nothing,” Woodworth said. “It’s a very manicured and curated vision of the candidates. The debate is what allows candidates to set themselves apart from one another.”
The candidates recently revealed their platforms to the campus community.
Nivea Krishnan, a student government veteran and junior studying public policy and economics, said she knows her way around the USC campaign trail. Now, as USG vice president, she said it’s imperative students see the plans behind the promises.
“Candidates do tend to run on big ideas or promises, but I’m really curious to see what they think they can actually get done. And I want to know that they have a plan for what they say they’re going to do,” Krishnan said. “I would much rather vote for someone that has two campaign ideas but a really solid way that they’re going to go about implementing them.”
Alvaro Flores, a senior studying international relations, serves as a sitting USG senator. He said Thursday’s debate won’t “break” any of the candidates.
“If [the candidates] come up with creative ways [to] show their charisma through these answers, I think that would be in the best interest for candidates to figure out what they want to say and say in a powerful and impactful way,” Flores said.
Voting opens next Tuesday, February 21 at midnight on the USG website. Students will have a five-day period to choose their next leaders.