After weeks of campaigning, elections for the 2014-2015 Student Government Association executive board are taking place today, allowing students to vote online at qu.collegiatelink.net.

More than 100 students attended the SGA debates on Monday night in the piazza. Each candidate was given the opportunity to give a two minute speech, answer questions from the current student body president and vice president and end with a 90 second closing statement.

Matt Eisenberg

Junior Mostafa Elhaggar is running unopposed for student body president. Elhaggar said he wants to act as the voice of the student body.

“I want to empower every student to leave a mark in any way, shape or form before their day of graduation,” Elhaggar said.

Elhaggar said one of his main goals is to give the student body a better sense of community and to strengthen the relationship between the administration and the student body.

“I think that by having a strong sense of community on campus will allow for anything to be possible and for anything to be improved on campus,” Elhaggar said.

Sophomores Bianca Solano and Jonathan Atkin are both running for student body vice president.

Solano said that her experience with SGA so far will help her be a successful vice president for the student body, and promised that as vice president she would be “hard working, open minded and dedicated to a better community.”

Matt Eisenberg

Solano hopes to get the whole community involved in making a difference on campus, allowing students and faculty to attend SGA meetings to discuss changes and concerns.

“Hearing student voices is very important to me and that is what I feel being the vice president is all about,” Solano said.

Atkin said students have the most power to influence the community and make the changes they want to see on campus.

“We the students are Quinnipiac and without us the university does not exist,” Atkin said. “We deserve the privilege to make sure that we are getting the fullest experience possible.”

Matt Eisenberg

Atkin promised to interact, connect and build upon the relationship between SGA and administration. He hopes that through consistent meetings with administration, they can work together to “identify all problems and work toward the future.”

Atkin wants to create an online petition system for students to petition changes on campus. The system would be on qu.collegiatelink.net and Atkin believes it would help give students a voice.

Junior Vice President of the Student Programming Board Danielle Imbriano is running unopposed for vice president for programming.

Imbriano said programming is crucial in building a strong sense of community and hopes to incorporate essential learning outcomes in her programs.

“It’s great that we are creating all of these fun and free events for students to attend but if there is no learning benefit, then what is the point of the program?” Imbriano said. “My goal is to stretch the importance of programming with reason behind it.”

Sophomore Matthew Powers is running unopposed for vice president for finance. Powers said he wants to create an online budgeting system for funding organizations on campus, as well as create a liaison position with the university administration to discuss university finances.

“I believe that the greatest goal of student government is clearly communicating the student voice to the administration,” Powers said.

Sophomores Carly Hviding and Ryan Miller are running for vice president of public relations.

Hviding said she plans to improve Hamden and Quinnipiac relations and combat the lack of transparency in student government.

“I plan to make sure no student government success goes unnoticed and no student concern goes unaddressed,” Hviding said.

Hviding hopes to have a student government representative present at legislative council meetings to help improve Quinnipiac and Hamden relations.

“Hamden is our home,” Hviding said. “I really look forward to improving our relationship with Hamden because I love Hamden and I want Hamden to love Quinnipiac.”

Miller said he wants to continue to help the university progress and make students proud to be a member of the community.

Miller said he wants to improve relations with the city of New Haven, as well as Hamden.

“I want our students to feel safe to walk the streets of a rather dangerous city as well as feel welcome and invited to the area,” Miller said.

Miller said he also wants to invite the Hamden community to use Quinnipiac facilities to increase school spirit as well as incorporate face-to-face interaction into reaching out to the student community.

Check out our website tonight for the results of today’s election.