Student body president candidates Ian Lee and Rick Ingram were endorsed Monday by UNC’s College Republicans and Young Democrats, respectively, after taking part in back-to-back forums.
The candidates — Lee, Ingram, Mary Cooper and Brooklyn Stephens — fielded questions from members of each club and then from the public.
Each organization voted on an official endorsement.
Candidates discussed issues ranging from student fees to campus safety. Each candidate received the opportunity to discuss their platforms as well.
At the College Republicans forum, the discussion revolved around the issue of student fees. All candidates supported a version of a student fee audit.
Lee said fees should be broken up into line items so that students can better understand how those fees are allocated.
“We need to add transparency to the process,” he said.
Candidates were asked how they would work with the administration during the brief window to determine tuition for the next year.
“This is where experience is key,” Lee said. “You need to immediately start speaking with administrators. If you know the process, you can call them out on that process.”