Continuing coverage of ASPSU elections

Chair Candidates

Nick Rowe
Rowe, who is the current Associated Students of Portland State Universityvice president, is running for SFC chair in this election. For his campaign, Rowe will focus on the future of Smith Memorial Student Union, including the SMSU 2020 project. “I will engage to make sure that renovations of the center…do not encumber students with a financial burden that exceeds the benefits it provides to the campus,” he said. “In any case, I am committed to supporting efforts that increase student access and control over the space allocations and scheduling of SMSU as it exists today.”

In addition, he would like to focus on funding for athletics, childcare on campus and limiting fees on students.

Rowe believes he is a good candidate because of his experience tackling issues at PSU. He previously served on the SFC committee and said he has “intimate knowledge” of the policies and procedures “that underpin the positive change the SFC has been able to effect this fiscal year.”

“I am well-positioned to expand upon this year’s success and make further improvements for students here on campus,” Rowe said.

Member Candidates

David Coburn

Coburn, who currently serves as a member of the senate, is running on the Victor Mena and Mona Syeda slate. His goal as a member of the SFC is to “prevent fee increases.”

“I believe that the student incidental fee is an essential part of students’ power,” Coburn said. “It is my firm belief that the costs of higher education are unsustainable and that steps need to be taken immediately to address the unsustainable nature of our system while preserving and enhancing essential services that are important to students’ academic, social and professional success,” he added.

“All this should be done without sacrificing efficiency and frugality with student dollars,” Coburn said.

Harris Foster

Foster is running on the Victor Mena and Mona Syeda slate. “Our slate intends to do its best to follow the opinion of the student body and execute any campaign that needs to be done in order to benefit the students,” Foster said.

He believes he is well qualified for the position due to his experience in student government. During an internship with the current ASPSU vice president, Foster said he gained valuable lobbying techniques that will prove useful for the PSU student voice. In addition, he is currently acting as the spring class rap coordinator, in which he organizes in-class speeches in order to inspire students to register to vote.

Sean Green

Green currently serves on the SFC and has also served on the Smith advisory board, the tuition review and advisory committee, as well as the vision and reform committee. “I am proud of the work that the Student Fee Committee has been able to accomplish this year,” Green said. “I am especially pleased with my involvement in three SFC initiatives.”

Those initiatives were to increase campus support for cultural services, to initiate homogenous pay structure for all student employees, and to secure “priority for students and more control by students over the use of the student union,” Green said.

Tyson Jones
Jones is running on the Tiffany Dollar and Marlon Holmes slate and currently fills a seat in the ASPSU senate, representing spiritual and religious affairs. He transferred to PSU from Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash., where he was involved in the school’s student government.

“I spent my time at CBC as cofounder and treasurer of the science club as well as being a senator for the Associated Students of Columbia Basin College. After a gap year that was spent working three jobs and being homeless for about eight months, I came to Portland State University to major in speech and hearing sciences and minor in applied linguistics,” Jones said.

Krystine McCants

McCants currently serves on the SFC as vice chair and is running for SFC member in this election. She will focus on issues surrounding student-parent services, athletics, the Smith Memorial Student Union and multicultural services as well as focus on other areas that will improve the student experience on campus.

“I am able to see trends in the budgeting process that may not be apparent to a brand new member,” McCants said. She believes her experience in the SFC makes her a good candidate. “In addition to my experience with the SFC process, I would bring a dedication to every student to my deliberations. With every decision, I have asked if it was the most effective use of the funds in question and whether the benefits were broad and impactful enough to justify,” she said.