SA student activity fee referendum elections this week

This week, students can have a say as to how their money is allocated during the Student Association referendum elections.

The vote will determine if undergrads will continue to pay the $80 student activity fee, which has made recent events including the Dalai Lama's visit possible.

Polls open this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Student Union, where students will be able to cast their choice.

"I hope everyone votes," said Viqar Hussain, SA president. "This is the one and only fee students control themselves."

Since the election is not mandatory for students to participate in, ten percent of undergrads have to vote in order for it to be valid, regardless of whether or not votes cast are in favor of the referendum.

However, due to a seeming lack of awareness, the ten-percent participation could prove difficult to accomplish.

"I'm not sure if I'll vote, I don't know anything about it," said Jennie Weerheim, a senior psychology major. "If I had more information about it I would."

For students like Leeza Walkes, a senior psychology major, it isn't a matter of how to vote, but rather being aware that elections are taking place.

"I didn't know they were having elections," said Leeza Walkes, a senior psychology major. "Now that I know it's happening... I'll definitely vote."

Others felt that awareness of the election was not an issue.

"They've done enough advertising for the elections," said Erin Low, a sophomore occupational therapy major. "I've seen flyers in the Union and an ad in the Generation."

Aside from the Distinguished Speaker series and Fall and Spring Fest, the student activity fee also supports student clubs and academic services.

"SA is worth having. $80 isn't too much," Walkes said. "It gives students a club to be involved with or a place they can go and hang out."

Hussain stressed the importance of the referendum, not only to keep activities available but also to keep SA accessible.

"Without it, none of the services we have would exist," Hussain said. "It would be detrimental to the organization not to have it. SA would fail as a whole."

While UB may have enough money to support activities for the remainder of the year, Hussain encourages students to think "long term," keeping in mind that SA will require money next year. This was a sentiment most students could relate to.

"They definitely need the money," Low said.

Some feel that SA is a contribution that separates UB from other universities.

"If it gets voted down, it kills something that's unique to UB," said Fabio Albertin, an informatics graduate student. "It gives a voice to the students."

This year will be the first election to happen every two years instead of every four, since SUNY SA changed the policy last year.

For Hussain, having more frequent elections is both beneficial and harmful.

"It's good to promote awareness about it, a lot of clubs don't know what the referendum is," he said. "But it diverts attention from working on the services. We should be concentrating on where it's going instead of how it's coming."

Others felt the increase in elections was valuable, especially for newer UB students.

"It's nice that they have the election every two years," Albertin said. "Freshmen don't even know what the referendum is, and you always have incoming students."