Associated Students candidates for executive vice president and vice president of financial affairs squared off in a lively debate yesterday.

The four candidates for executive vice president focused on how they plan to enhance the Aztec community and approach the new A.S. government structure.

Executive vice president candidate and civil engineering junior Kyle Anderberg said he would use his experience as the current Aztec Warrior to engage students.

Anderberg asked the audience if they prefer reading long emails or watching a video such as the “Harlem Shake.” The audience laughed.

“I want to start making videos,” Anderberg said. “Videos make people excited about things.”

Anderberg added he would like executives to send out videos of themselves talking about key points rather than sending mass emails.

Ensuring effective communication between students was a hot topic among the executive vice president candidates.

The candidates were asked to rank these topics in order of importance: communication with students, transparency, fiscal responsibility and sustainability.

Hospitality and tourism management junior and executive vice president candidate Becca Cohen ranked communication as her highest priority.

“First and foremost, students need to know what’s going on,” Cohen said. “If you’re real, then everyone will know what’s going on—not just the A.S. executives.”

All candidates except political science junior Jon Davidi ranked communication with students as the most important issue, who said financial responsibility was most important.

Davidi, currently the A.S. government restructuring committee chair, said the elected vice president should have knowledge of the new government structure.

“There’s going to be a lot of speed bumps,” Davidi said. “But next year will be a period of growth.”

The second half of the hour was allotted for vice president of financial affairs candidates, business administration junior Mariah Kelly and business marketing junior Dara Majdi.

Both spoke about the importance of honing in on A.S. funds and being fiscally efficient.

Kelly said one way A.S. can potentially save money is by looking into the nearly $25,000 spent on offering students legal services such as local attorneys and financial resources. She said not many students know that this is available and use the resources.

Majdi said he wants to support campus organizations by making sure they have enough money for travel expenses.

Majdi said he would like each organization to receive $500 for travel. Kelly responded that each organization does have the opportunity to obtain $500 for travel, on a first-come first-served basis. Kelly has experience on the finance restructuring committee and clarified two points on the comments Majdi had on current funding.

Finance senior and A.S. Representative for the College of Business Mor Frankle tweeted @TheDailyAztec a question for the financial affairs vice president: “How do you plan on dealing with the university on the current issue of A.S. covering expenses of the alumni center for the past three yrs?”

Majdi didn’t have prior knowledge of this relationship, but Kelly said she fully supported A.S. financing Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

Kelly said although it’s expensive for A.S. to pay for the alumni center, there are many benefits of having the building open to the university and she will continue to support A.S. financing of it.

The candidates for A.S. president will debate tomorrow at noon. Follow The Daily Aztec on Twitter at @TheDailyAztec and tweet any questions using the hashtag #ASelections.