Former SG leaders to moderate second debate
Tonight the two tickets for Student Body President and Vice President — Moneer Kheireddine and Shaquille Kent, Ryan Soscia and Logan Holland — will be quizzed by former President Brian Goff and Vice President George Papadeas who held office for the 2012-13 school year.
Along with the Election Rules Commission's (ERC) pre-approved questions, Goff’s goal is to bring a challenging perspective to both parties.
“Every ticket is going to be able to articulate their goals,” Goff said. “I hope we will be able to ask them how they plan to responsibly implement changes. We will bring a unique perspective because we have been in the position they aspire to be in.”
Goff and Papadeas plan to go “off-script” for the debate — to guarantee spontaneity in the candidate’s responses.
“(Papadeas) and I are going to come up with some questions outside of the ERC to keep them on their toes,” Goff said. “I hope to bring some of my knowledge and interesting questions that would not have been asked otherwise.”
Papadeas remembered his time assisting the USF student body. Last year Papadeas moderated the stand-alone Vice President debate. In his time running for office, Papadeas wasn't able to participate in a debate.
“When we ran, we were one of six tickets during that year,” Papadeas said. “We did not have a Vice President debate, or a shared debate simply due to time. I didn’t get a chance to share my perspective. Students having the opportunity to speak their minds, is an amazing opportunity for everyone’s engagement.”
Not only does this allow students to voice their opinions, the preparation also invites and inspires educational wisdom from former students.
“During our term, (Goff) and I met with high level communities and business leaders of the Tampa Bay area,” Papadeas said. “I hope to provide insight for these candidates, not just as a moderator, but also a networking resource for their engagement with alumni.”
Goff remembers the highs and lows of his time serving with Student Government.
“At the tail end of our Administration, we faced a lot of problems with funding various projects we wanted to implement,” Goff said.
Both moderators are adamant about making sure the candidates are prepared for the important position.
“Student Government provided me with real world situations,” Papadeas said. “The experiences that Student Government taught me, helped me immensely in my professional career. I knew when I crossed that stage in 2013, I was ready to tackle the world.”