It's that time again: election season. And if you're a student hurting to be heard, now's your chance to step into the spotlight.
In fact, if you're perturbed over the way your student government is being run or if there's something you see missing on campus, here's your chance to put yourself in the driver's seat and rev that engine.
Got some ideas for the UB administration? The UB Council is the foremost governing board of UB. One student representative, either an undergraduate or graduate student, sits on the board of 10 along with some of Buffalo's most prominent corporate and community leaders, charting a course for UB's future.
Right now the seat is held by Jenna Chrisphonte, a second year law student, but the position is not exclusively for post-graduates. In fact, just last year an undergrad held this powerful position.
Petitions to run for the student seat on the UB Council can be obtained at Student Life, 150 Student Union, and most student government offices.
And then there's the Student Association.
If you found yourself in charge of $2.8 million in mandatory student fees, what would you do? To find out, the first step involves picking up a petition in the SA office at 350 Student Union.
The undergraduate Student Association is the hand that rocks UB's cradle. The SA president is charged with representing UB's nearly 18,000 undergraduates, addressing their concerns and overseeing all of the group's activities, from the fests to office furniture. This year's president is Viqar Hussain.
This year's vice president, Leslie Meister, handles a multitude of duties including club affairs and public relations, among many others. Both president and vice presidential candidates run together on the same ticket.
The treasurer is the chief financial officer of SA, overseeing the allocation of all SA funds. Peter Grollitsch was elected to this important task in last year's SA elections.
If you're looking to go above and beyond UB to address SUNY-wide issues, then you're in luck.
The State University of New York Student Assembly is comprised of representatives from all SUNY schools. UB holds a total of five assembly positions at the State-level, each elected to serve as liaisons between UB and SUNY leaders in Albany.
Maybe you're not so hot-to-trot when it comes to running for a position in student government, but you still want your voice heard. No problem.
Voting is one of the most important - and perhaps most influential - tasks the average student can take on when it comes to making a difference on campus. Intelligent voting is a must.
Candidates running for each office often post their platforms and ideas for change around campus. This information can also be found in The Spectrum in the coming weeks. If you have a personal concern that you would like a candidate to address, or a question you'd like one of them to field, be sure to contact them.
Whether you're a freshman or coming back for just one more year in the Fall of '07, don't hesitate to throw your hat into the ring, step up to the plate and put your passion to good use as a representative of UB's student body.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
