Yesterday was the first in a three-day series of debates featuring candidates running for executive positions on the Associated Students board of directors.

Students gathered in front of Hepner Hall yesterday afternoon to hear candidates for vice president of external affairs and vice president of university affairs speak on issues ranging from finances to student health and transportation.

The debate allowed each candidate two minutes to respond to questions, giving them each three thirty-second rebuttals to use if they desired. Students were also invited to tweet questions to the candidates during the debates using the hashtag #ASelections to @TheDailyAztec.

The candidates for vice president of external affairs included seniors Celeste Rodriguez and Javier; Gomez and junior Allison Hillis, and candidates for vice president of university affairs included senior Washington Navarrete and junior Morgan Chan. Candidates who took the stage this afternoon addressed topics close to students’ hearts and wallets.

Speech, language and hearing sciences junior Maddy Main said she attended the event “very open-minded” and hoped the debates would give her a better idea of each candidate as she prepared to cast her vote.

When asked what he hoped to see the incoming executive officers accomplish next year, candidate for student support commission representative and communications senior Kodi Bobier said, “I’m actually really looking for programs that hopefully our executive officers can assist A.S. in developing in regards to  (bridging the gap). I really feel that, right now at San Diego State, although there are communities, there’s not a lot of bridges between those communities. So I’m kind of looking for them to find ways to make connections so there’s one Aztec community.”

Hospitality and tourism management junior Alejandra Alonso said there is an importance to these debates.

“We the students want change in the school and we want to put our full trust in the candidates,” Alonso said. “In order to really know who’s gonna make the difference and who’s gonna keep things the same, we have to come out and support them and attend the debates to know who’s running and what they can do for us.”

The next set of debates will take place today at noon on Campanile Walkway in front of Hepner Hall, spotlighting candidates for vice president of financial affairs and executive vice president.