From the possibility of a universitywide one-hour block with no classes to concerns around freedom of speech, Monday’s Student Government presidential debate discussed the USF community’s future.

The hour-and-a-half debate in the Marshall Student Center’s Oval Theater featured two tickets. A third ticket, which has not been announced, is also running in the elections but did not attend since participation was optional.

The final lists of candidates for the presidential election will be finalized Wednesday afternoon.

The discussion was moderated by The Oracle’s Editor-in-Chief Camila Gomez and Managing Editor Lily Belcher.

The BOLD ticket was led by this term’s vice president Sumit Jadhav and running mate Caio Esmeraldi. Esmeraldi is also the brother of last term’s president, Cesar Esmeraldi, but has no experience in SG. 

BOLD stands for “bulls first, opportunity, legacy and diversity.”

The opposing ticket featured public administration graduate students Jamar Blaze Smith and Brayden Jahn. Smith ran for Tampa governor in 2024 but did not win.

Smith serves on the Campus Council and Jahn is a member of the Senate and chair of the Senate Policy Committee.

Related: USF SG opens applications for general elections

In his opening statement, Smith, who is running for president, introduced four of his ticket’s initiatives: instating weekly one-hour blocks with no scheduled classes, increasing parking, offering cheaper food options and working on sustainability goals.

The ticket said one-hour breaks could allow students to spend time with friends, get food, visit university services or “take a nap.” 

“It’s about finding time to take care of our students,” Smith said. “That’s what we’re here for and what this is all about.”

Even though the BOLD ticket didn’t outline specific initiatives, they said they would keep an “open-door policy” at the SG office for accessibility. 

The ticket also said they want to better inform students about the services and resources available through SG and the university. 

“We have a ‘Bulls First’ mentality,” Esmeraldi said. 

The candidates were asked how they would support free speech while maintaining respect on campus. 

This past April, protests asking USF to divest from companies supporting Israel resulted in the arrest of 13 demonstrators. 

Following the protests, USF updated its on-campus gathering policies. Policy 6-028 requires students to obtain pre-approval for events involving amplified sound or displays.

Jahn said the ticket wants to “work with the university” to review policies that may not benefit students. 

“We want to make sure the university understands they can’t quite stop students from being able to utilize their freedom of speech,” Jahn said. 

Related: USF student orgs, departments might see budget cuts

The BOLD ticket took a different approach to the question. Jadhav said students feel “empowered enough” to share their views through The Oracle and “various platforms.” 

“We can facilitate conversations, empower students, educate them and make sure everyone is being respectful,” Jadhav said.

The debate also addressed concerns about the impact of immigration laws on international students. 

Related: ICE can visit USF. Experts say students should know their rights.

Jahn said his ticket wants to organize events to help students stay informed about laws and executive orders that could affect them.

“Not everyone can be tapped into the news at all times,” Jahn said. “We want to be a font of information that can assist them while being there to offer support when they need it.”

On BOLD’s side, Jadhav said as an international student from India, he understands concerns around immigration laws. 

However, he said U.S. visa laws are “pretty open” and offer “a lot” of opportunities for students to work in the country. He said USF World has resources to help students with career readiness.

“It’s about how we can educate students about what they can do with their visa,” Jadhav said.

Related: USF Senate discussion about ethics investigation on student body pres and VP delayed

Toward the end of the debate, an audience member asked Jadhav to list the biggest changes he has made as vice president.

Jadhav said he has been “advocating” for student organizations to have more opportunities through access to travel grants and increasing program funding.

The opposing ticket was then asked to rate the impact of Jadhav’s administration.

Jahn said he “personally” hasn’t seen much growth compared to the previous term. 

“I feel they may have been a little lacking regarding previous administrations and what they may have accomplished,” Jahn said.

After audience questions, vice presidential candidates Jahn and Esmeraldi, representing their respective tickets, delivered closing statements.

Jahn said his ticket is the “most qualified,” genuine and authentic. He said they will represent all students, regardless of their background.

“We always do our best to make sure everyone gets a seat at the table or at least knows what’s going on at the table,” Jahn said.

Esmeraldi said his ticket’s goal is to “support, empower and serve” students. 

He said he is inspired by his brother’s work as president and hopes to create opportunities for students in “any path they choose.”

“We want Bulls first,” Esmeraldi said. “We want to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to leave a legacy at the school, no matter what background you’re from.”

The gubernatorial debate will be at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the MSC Oval Theatre.