Behind The D.O.’s decision to host a Student Association debate with CitrusTV

The primary goal of any media organization should be to inform the public about issues that may concern them, especially in their role as constituents of government representatives. This objective is why The Daily Orange — in partnership with CitrusTV — worked to host a debate for the Student Association presidential candidates.

As the student government organization of Syracuse University’s undergraduate population, SA has governance over a wide majority of the student body. SA leaders are elected, and are thus direct representatives of SU’s undergraduate students. Because the structure of the organization is centered around the president, The D.O. and CitrusTV determined the debate should focus on the candidates for SA president for the 2017-18 academic year: James Franco, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Tyler Rossi, a junior in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

The D.O. Editorial Board believes that it is important for students to have the opportunity to ensure the candidates who have an opportunity to represent the undergraduate student body are fit to do so. The intent behind the debate was to provide a platform for the candidates to discuss the role of the SA president and what the candidates view as the major issues facing SU. Regardless of whether students are regular readers of The D.O. or viewers of CitrusTV, they should have an avenue to understand the stances of the candidates who wish to represent them.

The Editorial Board hopes the debate will be regarded not only as a channel for discussion, but also a method to get more students invested in SA elections and politics. The collaboration between The D.O. and CitrusTV will ideally make the debate’s content more accessible to students across campus who absorb media in different ways, and who perhaps do not follow university politics enough to understand the notable differences between presidential candidates.

Ultimately, whether students tuned into the debate or decide to learn about the candidates through other avenues, it’s most important that students take the time to make an informed decision and vote for the candidate they think will best represent the SU undergraduate student body.