Information in this article, originally published March 14 has been corrected. The Society of Afrikan-American culture hosted the debate.

Candidates for Student Government positions answered questions and spoke at four debates and forums hosted by the Society ofAfrikan-American Culture, AgriLife Council, Inter-Residence Council and First Year College Thursday.

The candidates were allowed two minutes to introduce themselves and three minutes to answer questions posed by attendees of the AgriLife Council floor debate.

During the AgriLife Council floor debate, after each set of candidates spoke, attendees stated the positives and negatives about each candidate and then voted on the candidate they supported most.

Becky Dodds, president of the AgriLife Council and senior in animal science, said the debate was held for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences clubs, so club representatives and members could see who gained support and then relay that back to their clubs.

Candidates for CALS senator positions were the first to take the floor in the AgriLife Council debate.

Travis Varner, a write-in CALS senior Senator candidate and senior in agriculture extension education, said one of his plans to improve and implement resources that are researched at the University and make Senate meetings more efficient if he gets elected.

Varner said one of the resources he would like to see being used on campus is rain water.

“Rain water is clean; it has to be processed very minimally and can be used for processes such as flushing toilets and watering lawns,” Varner said.

According to Varner, this rain water could be collected from rooftops and the cisterns which are being researched by the biological and agricultural engineering program.

“We’re a very practical school and for us to take this information and not apply it is ridiculous,” Varner said.

Katie Mills, a CALS junior Senator candidate and sophomore in zoology, said one of her main goals as a CALS senator would be to make sure the CALS senator position is accessible to everyone.

“I want it to be approachable,” Mills said. “I want to make sure people can come up to me and say what they do and do not like.”

Candidates vying for other positions, including Student Body President, Student Senate President, Student Senate Treasurer, Student Chief Justice and Public Defender, also spoke at the debate to explain their positions of how they would help CALS.

When asked how he had specifically helped CALS, Bobby Mills, current Student Body President running for reelection, said he had done several things that helped out the entire campus, such as extending dining hall hours.

Ty Roach, another candidate for Student Body President and senior in biological sciences, said he and running mate Natasha Herding would like to see a small-scale farmer’s market brought to the Brickyard to bring in local agriculture.

“It would help N.C. State see what’s out there … and maybe even help students live a healthier lifestyle,” Roach said.

Public Defender candidates Ben Mazur and Glenn Moraven spoke of plans to reduce hate crimes.

“The biggest plan I have is to create a program to educate students on hate crimes,” Mazur, senior in religious studies, said.

Moraven, junior in communication, said that his plans include creating a campus policy against hate crimes with running mate Lock Whiteside.

“After the noose incident and seeing everyone’s feedback, the issue just wan’t being addressed properly,” Moraven said. “I would like to see a zero-tolerance policy.”

Jay Dawkins, a candidate for Student Body President and current Student Senator, said he was trying to find other “passionate, motivated students who are ready to make great changes in this University” at the forum held by the Inter-Residence Council.

“It’s been really overwhelming the number of people who are ready to restore pride and excellence in the University,” Dawkins, a junior in civil engineering, said.

John Coggin, another candidate for Student Body President, also said he was happy to take advantage of the events so he could hear what students had to say.

“The real purpose is to open up the horizons,” Coggin, a senior in communication and interdisciplinary studies, said. “The Student Body President has the ability to bring groups together.”

John Mickey, a junior in business management and candidate for Student Body President, said he is running for his love of N.C. State.

“I want to share that with these organizations,” he said.