On Friday night, the Student Association hosted two debates between the candidates for SA president and treasurer. Carson Ciggia and Joshua Fromm from the Forward Party and Nick Johns and Siddhant Chhabria from the Spirit Party squared off in room 215 of the Natural Science Complex.
The candidates took the opportunity to explain their party's platforms and how they were going to improve SA. However, the answers to a simple question asked by Aaron Mansfield, editor in chief of The Spectrum, one of the four moderators of the debate, changed the nature of the night and caught the attention of an otherwise emotionless crowd. The exchange - which occurred near the end of the second debate between treasurer candidates Fromm and Chhabria - became the focal point of the evening.
The question: "How are you a better candidate than the guy standing next to you?"
Fromm said his finance experience stemmed from his current position as a bookkeeper in SA's Finance Department.
Chhabria said he had experience as a bookkeeper in SA's finance department under two separate executive boards and club experience as the current treasurer for the Indian Student Association (ISA).
Fromm, who worked with Chhabria this school year, responded to his opponent's answer.
"You talk about working under the past two e-boards," Fromm said. "From my understanding, I was told and know this from working with you this year, that you were fired not once, but twice. How can you expect to work at a higher office when you were fired from SA two times, especially as a bookkeeper?"
Chhabria quickly rebutted saying he wasn't fired twice. He said he was laid off from his position this year and wasn't provided any proper documentation or reasons for his termination. He then said he resigned the year before because of the "unprofessionalism maintained within the department" - a reference to former Treasurer Sikander Khan's $300,000 scandal in which he and Vice President Meghan McMonagale signed a contract involving a fraudulent company in 2012.
The audience gradually started to awaken, and whispers and quiet laughter slowly filled the room that had about 50 attendees.
"This has been built up throughout the whole election," Fromm said after the debate. "People have come to me and asked: 'Could you compare yourself to Sid?' And my work ethic and leadership is something that cannot be comparable. The fact that he was fired is one thing, but the fact that he continues to say why he [wasn't] fired was another. He was specifically given papers and he has been telling everyone that he wasn't given these papers when he was fired."
SA President Travis Nemmer, one of the moderators of the debate, allowed Fromm to respond. Fromm said he knew "for a fact" the e-board this year gave Chhabria the papers and a reason for his firing. Fromm then told Chhabria and the audience he would like to get the papers and show everyone. Chhabria then claimed he was only given papers after forcing the chief of staff and treasurers for some kind of documentation.
The laughter and attentiveness of the crowd increased with each rebuttal.
Fromm repeated Chhabria was given papers and reasons for the firing. Fromm added when he worked with him, Chhabria would constantly be walking around the office and socializing instead of doing his job.
"I would always be doing all the work, and to my attention, you were fired," Fromm said.
Nemmer was forced to intervene. The crowd was more alert than it had been throughout the night. He allowed both candidates one more rebuttal.
With a smile on his face, Chhabria grabbed his microphone and spoke louder than his previous responses.
"Josh, the initial question was to compare who is the better candidate," Chhabria said. "I can guarantee you that if we took a test of who knows more - or a simple Jeopardy game - I would dominate that game and overpower it way beyond your expectations. You would not be able to beat [me]."
He said Fromm was wrong. Chhabria repeated he was never given a reason for his firing.
In Fromm's response, he said Nemmer was the person who told Chhabria he was fired. Fromm then reiterated that Chhabria received papers of his dismissal.
Someone in the crowd asked Nemmer about SA's policies about firing someone. Nemmer responded, "There are administrative warnings that we hand out, but we retain the ability to fire anyone for any reason except an elected official."
After the series of heated rebuttals, Chhabria and Fromm smiled at each other and laughed as they fist bumped.
Although Johns and Ciggia pointed out the crowd mainly consisted of supporters of each party instead of undecided student voters, Jason Katz, a sophomore business major, came to the debate not knowing for whom he was voting.
"[The debate] wasn't as professional as I would like to see a debate between presidential or financial candidates," Katz said.
Chhabria sees the scuffle as nothing more than a political tactic.
"[My dismissal] was an unfortunate incident," Chhabria said. "They wanted to take advantage of that incident. I would have been doing the same thing if I were in their shoes - looking at the competitor's weakness and trying to work with that. My thoughts, though, were leaving the weaknesses and concentrating on strengths ... Whatever he did was in the best interest of his party and what I did was in the best interest of mine. "
Fromm said he wants the public to know the truth.
"I don't want to lie [to the public]," Fromm said. "I am an honest gentleman. I'm not out there to get anyone. I am not using this against him. I am just stating the facts."
The election is set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Email: news@ubspectrum.com
