The three candidates running for Associated Students Inc. president met for a debate on Tuesday at the Hinde Auditorium inside the University Union.

Angel Barajas, Brandon Kline, and Josh McGee discussed the two issues dominating student government: the future of the Recreation, Wellness and Events Center and the Student Health Center.

An audience of about 40 students filed into the Hinde Auditorium to watch.

Olgalilia Ramirez, co-director of ASI governmental affairs, acted as moderator for the debate.

Angel Barajas, candidate on the Access slate, made it clear to the audience that he did not vote for the RWEC in the last election, but said he is willing to get more involved in the planning.

“I voted no on the RWEC, but it passed. Now we need to go along with it,” Barajas said. “I can’t go back and change my vote, but we have to make sure students have access to it,” Barajas added.

Josh McGee, Horizon slate candidate and chair of the RWEC student advisory council, said his priority, if elected, is to increase student involvement in the RWEC.

McGee added his concern that Barajas doesn’t share the same sentiment.”If Team Access voted no on the RWEC, how do they have the students interests in mind?” McGee said.

Brandon Kline, candidate on the Kline/Plummer ticket, said he considers the RWEC to be his “personal project”, but it shouldn’t receive all the attention.

“I think the RWEC is only half the problem. The health center is the other problem. It needs to be here the next 5, 10, 20 years,” Kline said.

The health center is the focus of Measure 3, appearing on the ballot today, which asks students to approve a $27 fee increase to maintain the health center.

McGee, like Kline, said he will vote for Measure 3.

“Right now we have the lowest health center fee. It makes sense to raise it to a reasonable level,” McGee said.

On the issue of Measure 3, Barajas said students shouldn’t put up with fee increases and take the issue to the state capitol.

“We need to make sure we go to our governor and tell him we keep getting fee increases,” Barajas said. “He needs to make sure we’re covered with health care.”

Kline said he was confused about where Barajas stood on the issue of Measure 3 and accused Barajas of flip-flopping on the matter.

“We need a president who will take a stance and stick by it,” Kline said.

Barajas replied that if the students decide to approve Measure 3 he would stand behind their decision. But he added that the source of the fee increase problem is at the capitol.

“The bigger problem is at the state level. We need to let the government know we’re sick of it. That’s the bigger issue, I’m not flopping,” Barajas said to Kline.

The candidates also shared some of their own ideas of how to improve ASI’s reach on campus.

McGee said he wanted to improve communication between students and ASI by starting an e-mail system to inform students.

Kline said he would increase communications a different way, by relocating the ASI president’s office to the first floor of the Union. Currently, all ASI offices are located on the Union’s third floor.

McGee said moving the president’s office would likely be too costly, estimating the cost to be around $10,000. Kline balked at that estimate.

“I don’t think moving the office downstairs will cost $10,000, I don’t know where that came from,” Kline said.

McGee stated the $10,000 was just a “ballpark” figure.

“To say it’s not going to cost anything is wrong,” McGee said.

Both Kline and Barajas added they would like to participate in town hall meetings with President Alexander Gonzalez.

Barajas also mentioned he would also like to have a working board meeting in the library quad, to make ASI more visible.

Students will have until 7:30 p.m. on April 20 to vote in the online election.

Greg Hyatt can be reached at [email protected]