SFC debate draws tiny crowd, plagued by tardy candidates

With a meager turnout, the first of two Student Fee Committee candidate debates took place yesterday in the Smith Memorial Student Union Multicultural Center. At the start of the debate, which began late, only six member candidates and one chair candidate were in attendance.

The candidates faced a number of questions from the moderators Chris Richter and Kelly Welch of the Portland State debate team, including questions on the issues of meeting quorum and attendance, budget cuts and the possibility of raising the student incidental fee further. The fee will increase next year to $218 per term.

The audience then posed questions on the matters of an efficient, working SFC Web site, the need for working with other branches of student government and inappropriate remarks made by the SFC to student groups in the past.

Among all the candidates there were common themes of transparency, diversity with viewpoint neutrality, financial responsibility and sustainability within budgets. None of the candidates desired raising student fees.

Jil Heimensen, chair
Heimensen spoke of her small-business experience and her desire to keep SFC issues and details well documented.

“If we’re going to make sure fees are not raised, we have to put a control on how much groups can raise [their request for funds by] every year,” Heimensen said.

If elected, Heimensen said she hopes to enforce clear scheduling expectations from the get-go.

Johnnie Ozimkowski, chair
Ozimkowski, who arrived late, focused on his desired proactive approach to the committee.

“We can take proactive steps at Portland State to garner alumni support … and completely emphasize conservation on every level,” Ozimkowski said.

Ozimkowski also spoke of creating working relationships within groups and a theme of shared responsibility.

Elizabeth Anderson, member
The main issues Anderson stressed were being fiscally responsible and fair. She said it is absolutely the worst time to raise student fees and she supports efforts to not raise the student fee additionally.

“If [students] don’t see how the money is being used, then it’s not fair to ask for $30 more,” Anderson said in response to raising student fees.

Responding to a question regarding budget cuts for student groups, Anderson said the SFC needs to make sure groups receiving money are using it effectively and helping the most students.
   
James Gent, member
Gent talked about diversity and the demographics of a campus that is ever changing.

“My big priority is knowledge,” Gent said, “and getting the knowledge to the people who need it.”

He also mentioned utilizing workshops to increase student groups’ understanding of the inner-workings of the SFC.

“We can’t have [student] fees going up,” he added.

Christian Messerschmitt, member
Messerschmitt, from Germany, spoke of representing international students and providing an “international voice” within the SFC.

“The allocation of money among groups can be done in a better way,” Messerschmitt said.

Messerschmitt said he believes money should be allocated to groups who are the most active and serve the student community the best.

Aly Rey, member
Rey underlined her experience with liaisons in the past and how she hopes to bring a “passion to help” along with a clear, direct and efficient way of working with liaisons.

“The SFC should look at groups individually … look at details of what they’re spending money on,” Rey said.

Rey does not support across-the-board budget cuts applicable to all groups, and said she wants to work with groups ahead of time, before the requests for money come.

Danny Sobolov, member
Sobolov said multiple times that the SFC needs to look at the reality of the situation at hand. If cuts are necessary, he recommended balancing student groups’ needs versus wants.

“My priority is keeping it straight forward … simple … getting rid of the tape and complexity that agendas bring to the conversation,” Sobolov said.

Sobolov also discussed conservation issues and being sustainable with regards to the SFC budget.

Waddah Sofan, member
Sofan, who also arrived late, emphasized the challenge of the SFC in that the academic year ends before members truly understand the SFC guidelines. Having already served a term as SFC member, Sofan hopes to remedy this issue.

“It’s not a question of [raising the fee] $1 or $30, the question is how can the students benefit from the use of their student fees,” Sofan said.

Sofan also talked about looking for money from outside sources, and how student groups have to meet the committee half way when it comes to their budgets.