Five of the 13 candidates for the top four ASI positions attended the debate Monday at noon in the Hinde Auditorium in the University Union.

Presidential candidates Mohamed Hamada and Peter Ucovich were among those present. Executive VP candidate Julio Velasquez and VP of Finance candidate Luke Wood were also there. Jordan Aquino was there for his VP of University Affairs candidacy.

The debates were initially supposed to be held in the quad, but were moved due to weather conditions.

VP of Finance Peter Ucovich did not want to speak for other candidates as to why there was not a better turnout.

“I think all of the candidates have the intent to make this campus a better place,” Ucovich said.

Candidates were not the only ones in poor attendance. There were approximately ten people in the audience, and among those in attendance were fellow candidates.

Post-baccalaureate Director Mohamed Hamada briefly spoke before leaving the debate to return to his Vision 2003 booth in the quad.

“I would rather be out in the quad talking to students,” Hamada said.

Hamada blamed the poor student turnout on a lack of publicity for the debates.

“The majority of students do not know what ASI is,” Hamada said.

Only the candidates have been broadcasting information about the elections on campus, Hamada said. ASI needs to publicize and the State Hornet needs to cover ASI more thoroughly, he said.

One of his goals, if elected, is to create stronger ties between ASI and the State Hornet, in order to educate the campus about ASI.

“We’re told by (the) administration repeatedly that students are apathetic,” Ucovich said. “I think the students are very concerned.”

Ucovich called for the education of students about what is going on and what ASI is doing for them.

The structure of the debate was different, due to the fact that only one candidate for each position was there.

“It creates a different atmosphere,” Ucovich said. “It is definitely unfortunate.”

Questions were mailed to the candidates before the election and they were not allowed to ask each other questions during the debate, Hamada said.

“We shouldn’t be calling it a debate,” Hamada said.

Ucovich urged everyone to vote in the elections and tell their friends to do so, as well. He said he would be astonished if there was a 25 percent voter turnout and he would be ecstatic if there was a 15 percent turnout.

In the past four years, the percentages for students voting in ASI elections were as follows: 13.1 percent in 2002, 12.6 percent in 2001, 9.7 percent in 2000 and 11.4 percent in 1999.

Presidential candidate Brandon Kline was unavailable for comment before the State Hornet’s deadline.

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