By Marques Phillips

Buffalo State College will hold its student elections on April 5-8 in the Campbell Student Union. Polls are open from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., but will close at 3 p.m. on April 8.

The ballot lists a number of uncontested campaigners. The main competition in this year’s election will be for senate seats.

Candidates up for election:
• President-Matthew Levin-Stankevich
• Executive Vice president – Dawn Norman
• Vice President of Community Relations-Melanie Lafontaine
• Treasurer-Khari Myers
• Vice president for academics- Meghan Blake
• Vice president for athletics-Kevin Buckley , Kevin Mckenzie
• College Senate-Meghan Blake, Shannon Crowley,Todd Espinosa, Melanie
• Lafontaine, Matthew Levin-Stankevich, Kevin Mkenzie
• USG Senate-Orinthia Baker, Shannon Crowley, Aaron Groover, Matthew Levin-Stankevich, George Liaros, Kevin Mckenzie, Dawn Norman, Andrew Turton

Candidates formally began their campaigns on March 17. This year’s campaign features an opportunity for students to meet the candidates http://www.buffalostate.edu/studentlife/x618.xml and question them at 12:15 p.m. March 22 in the Cookery. Candidates will answer five questions each followed by audience questions. Rules for the meet the candidates event include:
• Each candidate will be given one minute to respond to prepared questions.
• The moderator will tell when time is up.
• The audience will be allowed to ask questions after the moderator has asked all of the five questions to the candidates.
• No clapping, jeering or other intentional distractions will be allowed.

“I just heard that they proposed undergraduates need less credits to graduate,” Buffalo State graduate student Jamar Cunningham said. “It’s things like that that should come out in the campaign and not after the person is already elected.
Seeing that campaigns start three weeks before the election itself, candidates have little time to persuade the public.

“Students do most of their campaigning during the time people are coming to vote,” said Hector Gil, associate director of student life.
Literature is handed out by the candidates some 50 feet from the polls on Election Day.

Members of the student government suggest that students attend USG meetings, which are open to the public, in order to better follow the history of each candidate. They also recommend asking questions of the candidates in the Union before voting.

Contact Marques Phillips at philmj25@mail.buffalostate.edu