Both candidates for Student Association Comptroller said they support raising the student activity fee.

SA hosted a debate Wednesday night in Hendricks Chapel with Larry Seivert, the only declared candidate for SA president, and Na’Tasha Webb-Prather and Lily Mei, the two comptroller candidates. The comptroller serves as the head of the Finance Board.

The debate, which drew fewer than 30 people, was held in preparation for SA elections. Voting, which begin Monday and will run through Nov. 13 at midnight, is done online through MySlice.

Both comptroller candidates said they recognize that tuition is already high and that the economy is not in good shape, but said even a small increase would make a difference, considering the number of students at Syracuse University.

Mei, a sophomore management major, suggested a minimal increase of $2 per student. Webb-Prather, a sophomore African American studies major, proposed a steeper increase of $10-$12 per student.

Webb-Prather stressed setting up one-on-one meetings with student organizations to educate them about the budgeting process and what goes on within the Finance Board. Webb-Prather said she recognizes that the allotted budget limits the capability to give all requested funding to student organizations, but said, ‘I’m working with them and for them.’

Mei discussed setting up workshops with the financial agents of student organizations, and said her passion for helping others will allow her to serve the students.

The candidates also addressed the Symplicity software, which has been a topic of heated debate between SA and the Finance Board all semester. Both candidates agreed that it is useful software, but provides services that are already available.

‘The Finance Board felt that the main reason for Symplicity was for student organizations to have a Web site, and that is a service already provided by OSL,’ Webb-Prather said.

An idea that all of the candidates, including Seivert, deemed necessary is increased collaboration between university organizations.

‘If more student organizations work together, more programs can be funded,’ Mei said.

Seivert, a junior business major, spoke about collaboration in reference to getting more student organizations involved with SA.

Seivert said his mission is to bring SA back to the students. He said he wants to install town-hall-style meetings in residence halls to further involve students. For the off-campus community, Seivert said he wants to make SA more available, so students know where they can go with their concerns.

‘I want to make sure SA is there to be a vehicle,’ Seivert said. ‘Collaboration has to start with a meet-and-greet.’

mequalte@syr.edu

Published on November 5, 2008 at 12:00 pm