For the first time in the Student Association’s history, the incumbents are running unopposed. Progress Party President Peter Grollitsch, Vice President Ashish Abraham and Treasurer John Martin will continue for a second year. Despite speculations of student apathy, Grollitsch looks at the unopposed election as a chance to get a much-needed head start on their new platform and ideas. Generation talked to the suits over a round of hot wings at Duff’s. Yes, they were delicious.
Typically, there is a change of leadership annually on the SA E-board, and why shouldn’t there be? An $11,000 stipend and a chance to rub elbows with Akon—one would think people would bum rush the SA office for the chance to run. Not this time. If anything good comes from an unchallenged election, Grollitsch says, it’s that the high-ups are able to skip the chaos that comes with an election and concentrate on matters at hand. “We can almost start working on Fall Fest,” Grollitsch said optimistically. No word on a performer yet, but my money is on Danity Kane and Daughtry.
The Progress Party’s platform last year focused on more affordable text books, creating a grant for SA clubs, expanding commuter lounges and scheduling more events on South Campus. Grollitsch talked candidly about what did, and didn’t, get carried out this year. Grollitsch was hopeful that the SA online book exchange could be moved to a physical space during last year’s campaign but it turned out that Follett had a monopoly of sorts on campus textbook sales. “It was wishful thinking,” said Grollitsch, “I thought it would work.”
As for a more spacious commuter lounge, Grollitsch said that due to UB2020, any space would indefinitely be temporary and spending money to build a new one wouldn’t be practical. Try telling that to those second floor commuter students. Grollitsch had some good news though, announcing new commuter-only parking to be implimented in two North Campus locations next semester. “That’s been in the works for awhile,” he said.
Access to computers is always a need for students, and sometimes the line in Lockwood is, to say the least, frustrating. Abraham said he is working to fix this, and was already able, by working with Student Life, to have two computer stations set up in the Union (behind one of the stairwells) and hopes to add more next year. Maybe they’ll even put a few on the third floor of the Union so students would be more likely to check out what is going on in the SA or maybe even Generation. Because, you know, those stairs are a bitch.
The biggest thing that the party worked to create was the New and Innovative Programming Grant. The grant, which SA clubs can apply for throughout the year, helps them with any new projects or events. Martin says that they distributed about $20,000 to $30,000 this year to help fund events like a new People of Color banquet, UB Renewal’s Spring Break trip to New Orleans where students helped with recovery efforts and even a new dragon for Chinese SA. I don’t know where they’re hiding that thing, but watch out. I hear they’re feisty. Martin added that with this grant, clubs can “email a proposal on Monday and receive the money by Friday.” Grollitsch said this is his number one priority for the upcoming year. Dragons for everyone!
Aside from the Programming Grant, the Progress Party will continue to work towards making things easier and less expensive for the entire student body, not just those involved with the SA. Grollitsch is hoping to work with professors across the university to lessen textbook prices and give students a heads up about their classes before they begin. The buyback program would have professors let the bookstore know what books they will need for the following year by March, so more students can sell their textbooks back instead of the bookstore buying new books. This will allow Follett to sell many more used copies at the beginning of the semester—I guess a $50 book is a better deal than a $65 book.
Syllabi posted on either UBLearns or the Course Schedule is another plan that the Progress Party would like to instate next year. Because professors, like students, probably won’t want to do work until the semester begins, this idea was met with some disbelief on Generation’s part. Grollitsch understands that professors are very busy and he said if about 80 percent participated he would be happy. This would make it much easier for students to not only choose their classes by professor and time, but by what the course entails. Don’t like writing papers? Online syllabi would help students avoid writing-heavy classes, or vise versa, so they would be able to excel without worrying about whether or not to drop a class. Ah, taking the easy route. How sweet it is.
Grollitsch said that SA has also been an important part of the planning stages of UB2020. For instance, part of UB2020 is looking into building housing on the Spine, which would mix residential, academic and social life—something students may or may not want.
Another big issue within the SA executive board is the possibility of working with Niagara Frontier Transit Association (NFTA) in order to cut a deal where UB students would get a discounted metro pass. The monthly public transport pass costs the public $66; students at UB would be charged $25 per semester. Many would find this beneficial, especially for those long sojourns to downtown, but the NFTA would want UB to charge every student, even those who would never use the pass. Grollitsch said this wasn’t fair and students should have the option to buy the pass—not be forced to. So, that development is still at a standstill, even after about 20 meetings.
This is a drag. It may not be hard for the SA to get to school by car—they have parking permits allowing them to park right outside the Student Union’s doors—but students who travel by bus or train have waited years for affordable university transportation, only to be left without results. UB?is the region’s largest university and employer; the Student Association ought to stay true to their name and make public transportation a reality.
On the upcoming year’s challenges, Grollitsch keeps a level head. “My goal this year is the same as last, I don’t want to change the world, just to keep the clubs happy and the students happy.” And if I know SA clubs, they’ll probably be keeping local pizzerias pretty happy, too.
