There is one spot for a student representative on the UB Council, and the two candidates competing for the position this year have until April 4 to round up last-minute support.
Student elections for the high-profile advisory board to UB President John B. Simpson open this coming Monday at 9 a.m. Polls will be conducted online through the UB Learns Web site.
Candidate Creighton Randall is currently a senior at UB, and is headed to graduate school for urban planning. Randall said that if elected, he would focus on the need to improve communication between organizations, their leaders and students.
"Every student should have access to their leaders, whether in (Student Association), (Residence Hall Association) or UB Council. I'd like to be as visible as possible," he said. "If elected, I will lead the charge to open communication by pushing to secure a shared space in the Student Union where officers will hold regular office hours."
Candidate Ilia Nossov, a junior business administration major, also addresses the need to improve communication on campus.
"I feel there's a gap between students and the administration," Nossov said. Many students feel there needs to be change and they talk about it amongst themselves, but there's no way to get their ideas across to the administration. This is the ultimate position to express (student's) ideas."
Nossov said that he was concerned with UB 2020, specifically the potential for overexpansion of the university's population as well as the possibility for differential tuition.
"There are a lot of issues about the UB 2020 plan," Nossov said. "Where will we get the extra housing when we're already over capacity each year? Where will we get extra parking spaces? Where will we hire a large enough faculty and support staff? Where's the money?"
Randall said that he was concerned with a lack of housing and parking during the proposed expansion.
"Housing and parking are major issues," he said. "UB needs more on-campus housing and needs to ensure that off-campus housing is good quality. There are a number of ways to solve the parking issue, but there hasn't been a lot of innovation so far."
Randall's current duties include external affairs director for SA and the undergraduate SA corporate relations director for the Corrigan Committee, a 13-member committee studying the future of UB's intercollegiate athletics programs.
"I've been the only student in a room full of administrators, faculty, and prestigious alumni in meetings for the Corrigan Committee. It takes a couple meetings to get over being in a room of authorities, and I have experience in those situations," he said, explaining that he would feel comfortable discussing important topics with the Council.
He has also interned for Professor Robert Shibley who heads the Master Planning Process for UB 2020.
"Working for Bob Shibley, I know how to realistically request what I'm pushing in the context of UB 2020," Randall said.
Nossov is a senator for SA and cites his business experience as proof of his leadership ability - he is chief executive officer for the online venture collegeffect.com, and does marketing for the Stevens & Stevens, LLP law firm as well as the Level Nightclub.
"I love business," Nossov said. "UB council is primarily made up of business people, so I want to see how everything works. I will bring a business angle to the position."
The purpose of a student representative position for the Council, according to its Web site, is to bring the student perspective to the group and advocate issues that are of concern to the student body.
Current representative Jenna Chrisphonte stresses that her position is advisory. She said that the student voice will not necessarily affect change if it does not fit in with the administration's large-scale plan for the university.
Chrisphonte said that she learned a lot about President Simpson and his "astounding" vision for the university.
"But he hears from literally thousands of people - he's very, very busy and that's the nature of the position," she said, suggesting that future representatives "listen, in addition to expressing the student voice, because there's a lot going on."
David Brooks, a former student rep, also has some advice for the person elected.
"Become as involved as possible," he said. "I got to attend a lot of undergraduate and graduate club meetings and I met with all of the student governing bodies, including the SA, GSA, GMA, the dental school and medical school. Try to represent the students well and learn something for yourself."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
