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Student government candidates battled for votes for the last time Wednesday before absentee voting begins today in the SUB Atrium.
All 30 ASUNM senatorial candidates, three vice presidential candidates, and three presidential candidates were given time to speak at the forum about various issues on campus. Student groups were also allowed to submit endorsements for the candidates they support.
The forum was moderated by ASUNM’s Elections Commission. The three slates are “Believe,” “Shout,” and “Unite.”
Lottery Scholarship solvency proved to be the main campaign point of the presidential candidates, though ASUNM cannot directly change the scholarship program.
The Lottery Scholarship, which provides tuition for eligible New Mexicans attending state universities, will effectively run out of funds this July if nothing about the scholarship changes. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 113, which would take $10 million from the state’s tobacco settlement permanent fund and put it toward the Lottery Scholarship for the next fiscal year. Gov. Susana Martinez has until noon Friday to sign the bill, if she wants to.
“Believe” presidential candidate Isaac Romero said he wants to build on the efforts begun by ASUNM President Caroline Muraida and former Student Regent Jacob Wellman.
“I want to continue on what they’ve done so we can further find a solution, because right now, there really isn’t one,” Romero said. “Right now, we’ve got a Band-Aid on it.”
One of the solutions ASUNM officials have considered proposing is to raise the GPA requirement for students to receive the Lottery Scholarship. Romero said that although this might strip some students of their eligibility, it might ensure the success of other students.
“I believe that if it is something students really want, then they’re going to strive to achieve it,” he said. “And by achieving it, then they themselves are going to be successful.”
But “Shout” presidential candidate Matthew Skeets said raising the GPA requirement for the scholarship would be unfair to many students.
“I understand that raising the GPA would cut a lot of students from the Lottery Scholarship, especially male students of color who make up the majority of the campus,” he said. “If you look at statistics and data, (Romero) would say that he does not want to increase the GPA requirement.”
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“Unite” presidential candidate Holly Marquez said she would work to achieve a compromise between the eligibility requirements for the scholarship and UNM’s student demographics.
“I don’t think eligibility for the Lottery Scholarship should just be based on one thing,” she said. “We would want it to be applicable to a majority of students. That’s the point of the Lottery in general — to get more student retention.”
Marquez said the scholarship is very important to many UNM students, and she has already taken steps to help preserve the fund.
“It is an ongoing issue for all students,” she said. “A lot of students are on the Lottery Scholarship and it’s supposed to run out in (2013). I have already written a bill urging Susana Martinez to sign and use tobacco sales to help fund that.”
Candidates also discussed a proposed amendment to the ASUNM constitution, which would increase the ASUNM student fee from $20 to $27.60. The amendment, which the ASUNM Senate passed last month, will be on the ballot this semester.
“Shout” senatorial candidate Dominic Calhoun said that because increasing that fee will help fund more more student organizations, it will benefit students in the long run.
“I come from California, and tuition is extremely expensive just because we’re advocating on certain things that would benefit the student population,” he said. “I am for increasing the student fee because it is only going benefit the student body.”
“Unite” senatorial candidate Richard Flores said the increase will help UNM student organizations get the money they want.
“It will get us back on track to be financially stable, and there hasn’t been a change in the student fee since 2002,” he said.
“Believe” senatorial candidate Adrian Franco said the ASUNM student fee should increase every year based on New Mexico’s Consumer Price Index, which measures the price of goods in the state.
“I agree that everybody, no matter of how many credit hours you take, should pay the student fees,” he said. “And it should fluctuate every year depending on CPI because student fees have not changed in a long time, but the economy has. We need to account for that difference.”
Student groups were allowed to submit endorsements for candidates until 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The Elections Commission will announce endorsements Monday. In-person voting is today and April 10.
