The candidates for five open executive offices and 22 open senate positions introduced themselves and their platforms at the Student Government debate Thursday night in 7th Street Underground.

Candidates from the Students First, Student Pride and Alpha Party each spoke on topics that ranged from qualifications for an executive office to Eastern’s relationship with the community.

The debate was moderated by the senate’s election committee, led by Kristin Rutter, vice president for academic affairs. Each candidate had to field questions from the election committee and the audience.

Peter Laesch, an independent candidate for student body president, led off the debate, offering himself as “a chance to give students some difference instead of the same old stubby rhetoric.”

Laesch said he will reduce student fees and said he would only veto legislation from the Student Senate “when they’re wrong.”

Paul Lytle, the presidential candidate for the all-greek Alpha Party, said, if elected, he would “raise the awareness of the student body to greeks as a whole.”

Lytle also outlined a platform of short-term projects, including parking at Greek Court and air-conditioning that works. He supports a proposed city housing inspection program.

Lytle left the debate early because of an unknown emergency at his fraternity.

Liela Morad, the Student Pride Party’s presidential candidate, said she wanted to follow in the footsteps of current Student Body President Katie Cox.

“I’d like to do what she does and take it a step further,” she said. “I want to be here for the students.”

If elected, Morad said she would work on increasing enrollment and starting a transportation program for students in the school of education’s practicum program.

Morad also addressed questions about her resignation from the Student Senate last year.

“School was more important,” she said.

Students First presidential candidate Hugh O’Hara said his party’s name describes his platform.

“We need to be kept first in every single thing that goes on here,” he said.

O’Hara said if elected, he would review where all student fee money goes and make sure it’s going where the students intended it to go.

Both O’Hara and Morad agreed that an issue would warrant an executive veto anytime the legislation would only benefit a small portion of the student body.

Each party’s candidate for the four vice-presidental offices also spoke.

Student First candidates emphasized their experience with Student Government and offered many ideas, including a sports emporium or a nightclub near campus, greater accountability for spending student fee money, placing more students on county boards and increased lobbying in Springfield.

Executive candidates for the Student Pride Party all voiced their enthusiasm for the office they’re running for and pushed their platform, which includes increasing faculty diversity, big name speakers on campus, a restaurant near campus and a more user-friendly financial aid system.

Joe Geocaris, Alpha Party candidate for vice president for academic affairs, said the Alpha Party candidates’ lack of Student Government experience was an asset in many ways.

“If you don’t know the boundaries set against you, it’s easier to transcend them,” he said.

Alpha Party candidates announced their own ideas for the campus, such as creating more community outreach programs.

Rutter announced the results of a quiz given to each executive candidate on the names of the five administrative vice presidents.

Each of the Students First party executive candidates correctly named all five vice presidents, Rutter said. Three of the Student Pride candidates earned perfect scores, while none of the Alpha Party’s candidates knew all five administrators, she said.