The Students’ Association executive cabinet debate Tuesday night focused on communication and including diverse groups of students.

About 170 students attended the debate in Hart Auditorium. A spiritual formation credit was offered, so many students like Esther Lau, a freshman Bible major from Macau, China and Alysa Gonzales a freshman marketing major from Katy, attended for the credit. Lau said she was also interested in the debate, although she doesn’t know much about SA.

Others, like Patrick Walker, senior marketing major from Abilene, said he came to support his fellow Gamma Sigma Phi member, Matthew Archer, treasurer candidate, and said he wants to be more active in the student body next semester.

Current executive president, Beau Carter, presided over the meeting, asking questions to the five candidates. Both candidates for executive president, Abbey Moses, junior political science major from Abilene, and Gideon Luck, junior computer science major from Kerrville, said service was their main goal.

“Being in this position is not about me doing anything, my abilities or my goals for the future,” Luck said. “It’s about me being able to help the student body achieve it’s goals and have the best experience it can.”

Luck said his top strengths include listening and dependability, which he plans to use listen to the student body with a focus on implementing their ideas.

“I’m somebody who has the goal of serving people,” Luck said. “I put myself last in this position and I’m going to work to make sure that things are good for other people.”

Moses focused on advocating for minorities in the student population, referencing her work in the Red Thread Movement and freshman mentoring for SOAR as ways she already reaches these groups.

“What is important to me is being sure that I am a representative of each and every individual student, no matter what communities they find themselves being a part of while they’re at ACU,” Moses said. “I have a commitment to listening to students.”

Moses currently serves as the executive vice president, so she knows what the role entails.

“An effective vice president and an effective Congress is what makes SA effective,” Moses said. “I really look forward to seeing how both of the candidates engage with the voters.”

Executive vice president candidates Emily Adkins, junior kinesiology major from Irving, and Abraham Enriquez, sophomore political science major from Lubbock, both want to encourage student involvement, but their focus was on different aspects of student involvement.

Adkins, a former ACU volleyball player and a violin player, said she wants to increase student involvement in athletics, fine arts and other activities. She said her strengths include a good work ethic, efficiency, confidence and time management.

“I will be able to commit my time and all my efforts to this job,” Adkins said. “I love ACU and I want you all to have the same passion that I do.”

Enriquez said good communication between students, Student Congress members and the executive cabinet are his top goals for the next year. He said he wants to have one-on-one meetings with Congress members to make sure they are all in communication. He also wants to help more students become aware of what SA does so they can have a stronger voice.

“I believe student voice is a blueprint to how SA should run,” Enriquez said.

The candidate for executive treasurer, Matthew Archer, is running unopposed. The junior finance major from Pflugerville still had to speak at the debate, but he said it was easier for him.

“I don’t have to worry about competing with anyone, so I could just stay relaxed and say whatever I think was right,” Archer said.

Archer is involved in Young Life, a local youth ministry, he’s an officer for CEO, and he also helps with World’s Backyard. He said his goal is to make a budget that’s fair, with a focus on communication with Congress members and student groups.

After the debate, Bogart Esquivel, a freshman advertising and public relations major from Dallas, said he said what he thought would affect him the most was that candidates mentioned getting interesting speakers for Chapel.

“I was interested in what the candidates have to say so I could make a good decision,” Esquivel said. “Some candidates had strong opinions and good suggestions for how to get students involved and be proud of ACU.”

The candidates will speak during Wednesday Chapel. Voting opens online at www.vote.acu.edu at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and closes at 5 p.m. Thursday.