Campus was littered with campaign materials Tuesday morning as student body president hopefuls brought their campaigns to life with posters, buttons and sandwich boards. On the first official day of public campaigning, two candidates and members of the Board of Elections also were met with unexpected conflicts.
UNC students could get a dose of Comedy Central during Commencement weekend. Mo Rocca, a TV personality formerly of “The Daily Show,” might grace the steps of South Building to render UNC’s first “Senior Class Address,” if the plans of senior class officers come through. Working with other branches of student government since last semester, officers are in the middle of arranging Rocca’s appearance the evening before Commencement to kick off the celebratory weekend.
Several UNC students will flood campus today with clipboards in hand, soliciting signatures of support and officially kicking off the first round of the election season. Almost 40 students began their journey to holding student government positions Thursday evening during a mandatory candidates’ meeting in which hopefuls declared their candidacy for the elections.
Students serving on the executive branch of student government will not be forced to resign from their positions if they assist student body president hopefuls with their campaigns next semester. During past administrations, Cabinet members have been forced to vacate their posts before participating in any campaigning activities. But Student Body President Matt Calabria said he altered this practice to preserve the makeup of the executive branch. Prospective presidential candidate Tom Jensen said he disagrees with the policy change.
The UNC Board of Trustees was presented with proposals for sizeable increases in tuition costs at four graduate and professional schools during its Wednesday meeting. Most of the tuition hikes, which could affect both enrolled and prospective students, would fund professors' salaries, added faculty positions and educational programs. The tuition increases would go into effect in fall 2005 if voted upon favorably by the BOT during its January meeting.
When the Finance Committee of Student Congress began its final meeting of the fall semester Tuesday, there still was $25,440.61 available to appropriate to student organizations for the last three weeks of the term. The committee passed $16,910 in funding requests during the meeting - $9,025 of which will not be issued until the spring. The full body will vote next week to approve these suggestions.
After a recent incident in the Pit that resulted in an arrest, Student Congress members will deliberate on Tuesday a resolution condemning the desecration of the American flag on campus. On Oct. 6, Kevin Sellers, a homeless protester, set to fire an American flag that belonged to Richard Bean, a member of College Republicans. In response, Kris Wampler, vice chairman of Congress' Finance Committee, has introduced a resolution to Congress that condemns flag burning in hopes of preventing similar occurrences in the future.
An empty vice president position was the only trace of William Keith's resignation from the Carolina Athletic Association at its meeting Tuesday night. Former Vice President Lindsay Strunk has stepped up as president of CAA without any complaints after Keith stepped down from the position Oct. 13. "I work with such a strong group of people that the transition has been pretty effortless," Strunk said.
