Students talked politics and dancing on Monday at the OUSC Candidate Meet and Greet.

All eight candidates were there to mingle with students and discuss their campaign platforms for the upcoming elections, followed by a dance-off where the candidates showed off their best dance moves.

Four tickets are running in this year’s election: Juniors Shakita Billy and Eric Sturgis, juniors Tyler Glen and Ryan Rott, junior Elisa Malile and freshman Benjamin Eveslage, and juniors Tom Cruz and Brett McIsaac.

The increase in the number of candidates running has created more competition for the title than in previous years.

Each candidate has prior OUSC experience and has proposed different platforms in regards to their campaign.

Billy and Sturgis are proposing the lowering of food prices in the Pioneer Food Court and tackling the infamous parking issue at OU.

“We’re not making any promises. We’re realistic and understand that the only thing we can promise is that we are going to work hard entirely for students,” Sturgis said. “A couple of our key issues are lowering food prices here … second thing is parking. I don’t have an answer; I want the student’s opinion. I want to survey the students, find out what they want and go to the administration … the third issue is, we want to see the library open longer and the recreation center open longer and we want to put the pressure on both of those areas to do that.”

Both Billy and Sturgis have served as legislators for OUSC. Billy has served as a member on the legislative affairs, multicultural affairs and student services committees. She is also a member of the International Ally Program and the Student Alumni Association, and was elected as OU’s Employee of the Year in 2010. Sturgis has served as congressional archivist, club tennis vice president and College Democrat treasurer.

“I am aware of all of the resources I can get as a student and I also understand how important it is for me as a student to connect with faculty, staff and administration to create networks,” Billy said. “When I realized that the average student didn’t know that information, I realized it’s my turn and my responsibility to help the average student out and by running for student body president, I could help them do that.”

Eveslage and Malile are proposing giving all students the college experience they deserve. Their campaign platform is based around proposing events that are coordinated to and available for all students.

“The platform is based around that college experience. To be able to have events for all different types of areas around campus and cumulative weekend events so that students stay on campus, and want to stay on campus,” Eveslage said. “I want everyone to know what’s going on at OU. I want to have easy ways to get involved and be able to have that experience easily and readily available.”

Eveslage is the president of International Allies and the Legislative Affairs Director for OUSC. He has helped put on multicultural events on campus, including Not For Sale and OU Day at the Capitol. Malile is a member and Fundraising Chair of Phi Sigma Sigma, as well as a member of the Albanian-American student organization.

“I want to take OU to the next level in the form that I want to make sure that students have a college experience and make sure that everyone who walks through our doors can experience that no matter what they’re looking for,” Malile said. “They can take a piece of OU with them when they walk across on graduation and they’re proud to say that they went to OU and say that they had that experience.”

Cruz and McIsaac have built their campaign around giving students more different options for campus issues and concerns.

“One of the main things we want to talk about is having feasible options for solutions,” Cruz said. “Some people can talk about having cheaper prices for food, some people can talk about better parking and some people can talk about better utilities. But what people might forget is that, with all of those things, is something else that goes with it, like higher tuition rates and other things that the university and the students themselves have to bear.”

Cruz and McIsaac are want to implement an increase of security on campus, thorough security response training and a revised student handbook that would feature a list of student organizations and other campus activities available for students.

“It’s the knowledge of being in the legislative and executive board that lets us know what’s possible and what’s not. We know how to go around campus, talk to the administration and get things done,” McIsaac said. “It was my job this past year as the student services director to go around and talk to the administration and get results … I don’t feel that there are any other candidates that are as experienced as we are. We are the only candidates who both have executive board experience.”

Cruz and McIsaac are both members of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and have both served on the legislative and executive board at OUSC. Cruz is also the multi-cultural affairs director for OUSC and McIsaac is the student services director.

Glen and Rott, who could not be reached for comment, are proposing more student involvement on campus through more funding provided for student organizations.

Glen is a member of the Honors College and the Financial Management Association. He is a member and the social chair and special events chair of Sigma Pi Fraternity International. Rott is also a member of the Honors College and Sigma Pi Fraternity.

The vice presidential debate will be held March 18 at noon in the Fireside Lounge, followed by the presidential debate March 23 at noon in the Fireside Lounge. Voting days are March 28-30. To learn more, visit

oakland.edu/ousc/elections