Of all the groups at our university, the one that wields the most influence is the UB Council, and this week we are voting on a student representative to voice our needs.
Between the two candidates, we are endorsing Daniel Ovadia for the position.
Ovadia is very experienced, and well seasoned to be the student representative on the council. Not only has he been a member of SA, a group that represents every undergraduate at the university, he's also familiar with a wide range of clubs and smaller student governments. He's also been involved with Late Night UB, which caters to all students, not just undergrads.
In addition to his credentials, Ovadia has a few good ideas to make the position more effective. Since the student representative gets only five minutes to talk, he plans on taking surveys and gathering information to prioritize his talking points.
That way, the big wigs on the council hear what's most important to you in the limited time allotted.
Also he plans on including clubs more in the conversation with the council by encouraging them to not only watch the recordings of meetings, but also by talking to clubs to hear their concerns. Ovadia understands that being open to the needs of the students is the single most important aspect of the position.
Mia Jorgensen was also a very capable candidate. She was on the council this year and has been there through the changes against the students' best interests, arguing against increases in fees and bad policy. From our meeting with the candidates, though, we felt like Ovadia was a more forceful and convincing speaker.
The question is what does the council really do and is there really any point to the position.
In short, the UB Council reviews every major undertaking the university begins. It serves as the advisory and oversight board for the president and senior officers. It is comprised of 10 members, nine being appointed by the governor, and one being our representative.
Clearly, from seeing many meetings, the council seems much more like a public face than an effective body. Meetings seem to be designed only to reaffirm what the university is doing rather than actually provide significant oversight.
However, the student position is still an important one. The people on the council are heavy hitters in the area, most notably Jeremy Jacobs. Jacobs, owner of the Boston Bruins hockey team, is the billionaire chairman of the council and has huge clout at this university. Some might say he has as much pull as President Tripathi.
That's why your vote is still important. Whoever gets elected has the opportunity to give the most powerful group on our campus a piece of our mind. As we've seen over the past year, the one thing the leaders of this school need is a constant reminder that we are the reason they even exist in their positions.
Last year, the turnout was downright pitiful. Out of a massive school, only 500 people voted. Ironically enough, voting has never been easier. You can vote online without ever leaving your room at the Student Affairs website. Hell, you could even vote naked with this system, which is an exciting proposition for many of us.
So whatever your opinion of the school, get out and vote, and if you can't get out, just relax in your nice computer chair and vote today or tomorrow.
