In more ways than one, the 2016 University of Central Florida SGA Presidential election is beginning to parallel what is happening on the national political scale.
In one corner stands the establishment. Christopher Clemente and Rachel Altfield have been endorsed by Cait Zona, current SGA President. Clemente has previously served as SGA Chief of Staff. Altfield has served as a Senator representing Rosen College. Her sister, Sydney, is a former Student Body Vice President.
In the other corner stand the outsiders. Anthony Safadi and Ali Nassereddin pride themselves in being anti-establishment candidates. Having no Greek affiliation, Safadi and Nassereddin are looking to break through the barrier which they perceive to be preventing non-Greek students from holding positions in student government.
On Wednesday, both sets of candidates sat down in the Cape Florida Ballroom of the Student Union for a Presidential debate. Noticeably absent from the debate table, but still present as an audience member was Jake Milich, a presidential hopeful who was suspended along with his running mate Elaine Sarlo after being found guilty of numerous election violations by the election commission.
The moment Anthony Safadi steps into the Cape Florida Ballroom, it becomes apparent that the same qualities which captivate some students might also cause quite a few voters to not take his campaign seriously. Donning a suit with a red tie and an blonde combed-over wig, during the debate Safadi ridicules the “terrible deals” made by the current administration, while also vowing to be a president who brings “greatness back to our student government” with the help of “great negotiators.”
Predictably, his campaign slogan is “Make UCF Great Again.”
When asked the reason he feels UCF is not currently great, Safadi points to graduation rates and parking services, which he believes to be “destroying our students’ wallets in an unfair matter.”
“I’m sick of regulations, I know how it works,” Safadi stated. “I used to sit on the Parking Services Appeals Board. It’s designed for students to fail — it’s designed to take your money. They issue fifty tickets a day, and nobody says anything about it. I’m going to fix that. And we will make UCF great again.”
Clemente and Altfield approach the debate in a more traditional manner. With a platform containing over forty points, Clemente and Altfield both acknowledged the challenges they may face in maintaining the promises made during his campaign.
“We wouldn’t have put them on there if they weren’t realistic,” Clemente said, referring to his platform points. “It’s about laying the groundwork and saying to the administration, ‘This is exactly what we want to see.’ If we can’t see it right now, we’re damn well going to work towards it in every capacity we can and allow our possible successors to build off that legacy and enhance the student experience.”
“Yes, a lot of our platform points will be hard,” Altfield continued. “But I have no doubt that us and our administration will be able to succeed in all of them.”
The Safadi/Ali campaign has not yet revealed a concise platform.
