Students will determine the fate of a fee increase and choose the membership of the SA's major legislative body when polling booths in the Student Union open Monday.
On the ballot will be three measures relating to the Mandatory Student Activity Fee. Students can choose whether the fee, currently $69.95, should be mandatory or voluntary, whether it should go up by $10, and whether $1 per student should be given to The Spectrum.
Students will also elect the SA Senate, the branch of the SA legislature that determines how student funds will be allocated, including the new money SA will get if the increase passes.
The elections will continue through Wednesday of next week.
This year, the Senate candidates' debate has centered on the fee vote. The Mandatory Student Activity Fee covers the cost of hundreds of student events and services, including all student clubs, Spring Fest and Fall Fest, the Anti-Rape Task Force, Generation, the pharmacy and some Distinguished Speaker Series events.
The SUNY Board of Trustees guidelines mandate that a referendum be held every four years to vote whether the fee should be mandatory or voluntary. Ten percent of the student population must vote in order to make the referendum legal.
This year, four groups are competing for senatorial chairs: Free UB, Your UB
Voice, UB Biz!, and independent candidates.
Carl Woelfel, a Free UB candidate and junior economics major, explained his party's view on the fee.
"We're for keeping it mandatory," Woelfel said. "SA provides a lot to UB. Without the mandatory fee, no one would send in money. SA would not be able to function - it would be something that existed in name only."
Greg Stern, another Free UB candidate, said that his group was opposed to the $10 fee increase.
"We don't believe it should be raised. Rather, there should be a better allocation of the funds," said Stern, a sophomore political science major. "We want to change a few things in the budget, open it up, have a little more fun. We might propose a week-long Fall Fest and encourage sponsors to support the event."
Woelfel added that last year's budget was spent on absurd things, such as unnecessary paid trips, binders, and cell phones.
"Raising the budget by $10 would just encourage more wasteful spending," he said. "Rather, we'd analyze the budget - what made money, what lost money. We might eliminate some of the smaller group-specific events so we can bring more people together in the larger events, even the apathetic ones that don't participate."
Viqar Hussain, a Your UB Voice candidate, said his party also supports the mandatory fee.
"It's the students' decision to keep the fee mandatory - otherwise the university makes all the decisions," said Hussain, a sophomore bio-medical major. "Our whole party is based on the UB population and what it wants."
"Most people think the funding just goes to clubs, but clubs are not the majority of students," he added. "Most take advantage of free pizza, barbeques, fests. That money comes from the same source."
Mazin Kased, another UB Voice member, explained how his group would allocate the funds, should they be elected to Senate.
"We want to make sure the money goes to the right places - clubs that deserve it should get it," said Kased, a junior marketing major. "Many clubs do a very good job, without even getting paid to do what they do."
Tiffany Chan, a UB Biz! candidate, said her group opposed the increase.
"We believe the fee should stay mandatory, even though we disagree with the amount of money proposed," said Chan, a freshman English major. "The fee has been steadily going upwards. We want future students that apply to see UB on top."
Chan added that an increase of $10 might be inconvenient for some students.
"Some people on campus might have financial difficulties, and the $10 increase would add to it," she said.
Chan also explained how her party would distribute the money.
"We would try our best to distribute money evenly," she said. "Especially amongst clubs and temporary groups that need a starting budget for things like food and clothing drives."
