Students& Association President Meng Wang will attempt next week to win the vote of the student body for a second year, facing three challengers for his position 8212; juniors John LaBoda and Samay Ghee-wala and senior Mindy Fountain.
Despite a sometimes rocky term in office, Wang said he feels confident that he can serve the student body for another year.
&I feel this administration has done a hell of a job,& he said. &I want a second term because there&s unfinished business.&
Wang is running on a mainly two-issue platform 8212; he wants to quell students& parking grievances and help realize the campus pub that so many have worked for.
&That pub is going to be built if I&m elected. We will raise the money,& he said.
He proposes to work toward the $400,000 cost by appealing to alumni, faculty and parents for donations.
As for this year&s accomplishments, Wang points to his coordination of the Masquerade Ball and the football season opener at St. John Fisher College, which he said 400 students attended.
He also credits sophomore and chief of staff Lonny Mallach for his contribution to the new dining plans and help in bringing declining balance to the Corner Store. Mallach, however, will not be a part of the cabinet next year.
Wang has also served as a Class of 2002 senator and is involved in STING. Born in China, he grew up in Baton Rouge, La. and is majoring in computer science, economics and political science.
LaBoda currently represents Hill Court in the SA Senate and also served as Fraternity Quad senator. He chairs the policy committee, where he worked on election reforms and helped create the student services committee.
His platform focuses on creating a seamless student government, class councils and a merit rewards program.
LaBoda would improve communication between the senate and the president. He would also start a presidential Web site where constituents could post messages.
&I want to run an administration that has no secrets and keeps students informed,& he said. &Any student can affect student policy.&
LaBoda&s class councils would promote unity and facilitate the transition to freshman housing.
His Rochester Strive 4.0 Excellence program would have the school offer tuition deductions for academic and service achievements in order to benefit students and gain national prominence.
LaBoda, from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is majoring in economics. He is involved in Psi Upsilon fraternity, the Newman Community and the ski team. He is a teaching assistant and plays the drums.
Gheewala is a relative newcomer to student government, having joined the senate&s student services committee this spring.
&I don&t really see that as a weakness,& he said. &I think that I can bring new ideas and a fresh way of doing things to student government.&
Gheewala runs on a general platform of making sure that students are heard, targeting issues such as dining, parking, security, sweatshops, spirit and the campus pub.
He is a French major from Los Altos, Calif. He is involved with the improv troupe In Between the Lines and other drama performances, the equestrian team, the No-Sweat movement and intramural sports.
Fountain served as chief of staff for former SA President Scott Jennings. She has been a senator and a member of the Students& Association Appropriations Committee.
Fountain&s campaign is based on the formation of a representative cabinet, whose members would speak for the interests of different groups across campus.
&Right now, there&s no place where people from our diverse groups and activities can come together and talk,& she said.
With the cabinet, she aims to increase the efficiency of programming and use funds more effectively.
Fountain would involve UR in the Rochester Area Student Union, which lets students take advantage of programming at other schools. She would also work to get students discounts and transportation to community events.
Other issues Fountain would address are racism and the lack of campus performance space.
Fountain, from La Porte, Ind., is involved in STING, D&Lions, Meliora Weekend and the Outside Speakers Committee.
The candidates will participate in a debate at the Common Ground Caf Sunday at 8 p.m.
Elections will be held from next Monday at 10 a.m. through Wednesday at 10 p.m. Vote by logging in through Telnet and typing &vote& at your mail prompt.
Seniors and Take Five Scholars are also eligible to vote.
Because less than five candidates are running, there will be no runoff election.
Last year, only 25 percent of the student body voted in the primary and 24 percent in the runoff.
&It looks like we should have a very clean but hard-fought race and hopefully these four can help us bring voters out,& said junior and election committee chair Joe Cacciola.
