Presidential candidates faced off at the executive open forum on Friday for their final confrontation before the Jan. 28 to 29 elections.

Jeremy Ambraska, Law ’20, and Jaspar Wong, Ed ’19, highlighted their plans for the year and made their appeals to voters in the SGPS Lounge on Jan. 25. They were joined by Vice-Presidential candidates Abel Hazon (Finance) and Leo Erlikhman (Graduate), and given the opportunity to speak about their platforms while answering questions from a live stream.

Both Hazon and Erlikhman are running uncontested for seats they already hold.

Erlikhman believes, having already held the position, he’ll be able to dive right into his duties. He stressed the benefits of the continuity of leadership in achieving the SGPS’ long-term vision.

Similarly, Hazon discussed his accomplishments over the past year as vice-president (finance). He cited the reduction in price of the health benefit program while maintaining its quality as a significant accomplishment. Looking forward, he hopes to increase the student activity bursary to meet increased demand.

The presidential debate closed the forum.

Both candidates outlined their qualifications for the position, with each candidate acknowledging the other’s accomplishments.

When asked about the all-male slate of candidates for SGPS executive positions, and how they plan to overcome this lack of representation, Wong expressed his commitment to listening to the diverse voices of the SGPS. He believes his background in education will allow him to do just that.

“The idea [in education] is that if you cannot experience the exact same thing, then you cannot manufacture that experience. You must listen and that is what I seek to do as president,” Wong said. “The voices of women as well as other minorities on campus will be heard. That is a priority, regardless of the all-male membership.”

Ambraska admitted representation would be a challenge, and that it isn’t an issue he was willing to “blow off.” He expressed concern with the lack of women candidates and the fact only one election in the entire faculty was contested.

“I think the SGPS needs to do a better job reaching out to ensure there’s a diverse range of candidates,” Ambraska said. “I think it’s about the executive both looking at what we can do better moving forward and recognizing that it might be a challenge.”

Eligible voters for the SGPS elections will be emailed their ballots, to be completed Jan. 28 to 29.