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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Student Association e-board party agenda copies SA President’s agenda word-for-word

<p>The P.R.I.D.E. party from left to right: Kendra Harris, &nbsp;Yousouf Amolegbe, Georgia Hulbert.</p>

The P.R.I.D.E. party from left to right: Kendra Harris,  Yousouf Amolegbe, Georgia Hulbert.

One of the three parties running for the Student Association e-board appears to have copied word-for-word at least four different points in its platform from current SA President Gunnar Haberl’s February State of the Student Association address. 

The P.R.I.D.E. Party’s original printed platform, which was distributed to The Spectrum on Wednesday, and parts of which are posted on the party’s Instagram, called for protecting sexual harassment policies, implementation of the recreation center, advocating for the Americans with Disabilities Act and growing UB’s food pantry. In Haberl’s address, he highlighted the same issues, many of which are word-for-word the same. While the party’s platform does add several new ideas including expansion of accessibility and disability awareness, it appears to be largely drawing from Haberl’s initiatives. 

The party’s vice presidential candidate, Georgia Hulbert –– who said she had a copy of Haberl’s speech while the party worked on its platform –– said she takes “full responsibility” for the “mistakes” made in the agenda. Hulbert has since edited portions of the document to credit Haberl. Eric Rooney, P.R.I.D.E. Party’s campaign manager, had access to Haberl’s speech shortly after Haberl finalized it, according to Haberl. 

Sophonie Pierre-Michel, SA elections and credentials chair, said platforms are expected to be unique, but the party is not breaking the SA Election Rules and Regulations guidelines with their initiatives.

Haberl said he has not spoken with any P.R.I.D.E. candidates “directly” regarding their initiatives. He said he’s glad candidates want to carry his initiatives forward, but hopes everyone running for SA e-board knows the work that is ahead of them.

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The P.R.I.D.E. Party, which is running for Student Association e-board, is running on initiatives which mirror the current e-board’s. Some initiatives match current SA President Gunnar Haberl’s State of the SA address word-for-word.  


“I hope that whoever is elected from whichever party understands the time and attention to detail that is necessary to build relationships, not only in the Student Association, but across the university in order to make real change on this campus,” Haberl said. 

Hulbert said the party looked into previous e-boards’ initiatives while formulating its platform. 

“We came up with our own spin on things but these are the same projects that I’ve been trying to push for years,” Hulbert, current SA assistant entertainment director, said. “So instead of going in blindly and not getting educated on it, we talked to previous administration. We want to push for the things that they’ve been working on.”

The party’s platform includes five agendas –– progressive, reform, integrity, diversity and empowerment.

Four of P.R.I.D.E.’s “progressive” initiatives mirror Haberl’s goals from his speech.

The party wants to “Urge New York State and UB administration to protect comprehensive sexual assault and harassment policies that are currently in place.”

Haberl, in his February speech, said he was “urging New York State and the University at Buffalo administration to protect comprehensive sexual assault and harassment policies that currently exist.”

The party included this initiative under both their “progressive” and “reform” agendas.

P.R.I.D.E. also said it wants to “push UB to develop and implement concrete plans to build a Recreational & Wellness Center on North Campus.” 

The party also included this initiative under both their “progressive” and “reform” agendas.

This is similar to Haberl’s statement that “UB needs to develop and implement concrete plans in the immediate future to build a recreational and wellness center.”

P.R.I.D.E.’s “Accessibility and Disability Rights Awareness” agenda contains many new initiatives. Still, the party’s plan to “Demand SUNY SA and UB administration ensure that all provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly, Titles II, III and IV, requiring that all means of transportation, facilities and telecommunications systems be accessible to those with disabilities,” mimics Haberl’s promise.

“The Undergraduate Student Association will continue to work with SUNY SA and UB administration to ensure that all provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly, Titles II, III, and IV, requiring that all means of transportation, facilities, and telecommunications systems be accessible to those with disabilities,” Haberl said in February.

P.R.I.D.E. outlined its hopes to “grow the on-campus food pantry located in the Student Affairs Office on North Campus to ensure that no UB student goes hungry or leaves school because they cannot afford to eat.” 

Haberl said he worked on the same initiative this year “to make sure that no UB student goes hungry, or leaves school because they cannot afford to eat.”

Hulbert acknowledged the similarities between her party’s campaign and Haberl’s initiatives and said she still stands behind the platform.

“We’re not ashamed of the fact that we want to continue and that we have similar wording. I will admit to the oversight that some of them are too word-for-word,” Hulbert said. 

SA e-board elections will run from Tuesday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. 

Jacklyn Walters is a co-senior news editor and can be reached at Jacklyn.Walters@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @JacklynUBSpec. 


JACKLYN WALTERS
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Jacklyn Walters is a senior communication major and The Spectrum's managing editor. She enjoys bringing up politics at the dinner table and seeing dogs on campus. 

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