Union Board to hold directorship elections

Building on a 91-year history of campus-wide programming services, Union Board will wrapup its week of directorship campaigning in an open forum today in the Indiana Memorial Union Gallery at 7 p.m. Functioning primarily as a means of educating students on the organizations' objectives and visionary proposals, the forum will allow candidates to discuss their goals for the future of Union Board.\nUnion Board directors serve as liaisons between the IMU and the Bloomington campus, according to the IMU constitution. Directors must commit 15-30 hours per week to developing programming initiatives and maintaining effective committee development.\nSixteen directorship positions are chosen through electoral and interview processes. Interested individuals were required to submit applications including their campaign platform by Nov. 15. That evening, all applicants attended an orientation meeting detailing the election process.\nBeginning Monday, candidates were permitted to begin campaigning campus-wide. The week will culminate with tonight's forum, during which each of the 22 candidates will be allowed two minutes to state his or her platform. Questions will follow the prepared remarks.\nMike Gosman, Union Board president, encouraged students to attend the forum and, consequently, turn out to elect the organization's leaders for the 2001 school year. Because Union Board is a student-run group charged with sole responsibility for determining campus-wide programming, input from students affected by its efforts is vital to the organization's success and subsequent popularity on campus, Gosman said.\n"Each candidate has different ideas for what sorts of events Union Board should provide for the campus," he said. "This is the students' chance to decide what Union Board's lineup of events, including lectures, concerts and films and much, much more will include."\nSophomore candidate Laura Edwards hopes to convey this idea through "programming to every student." Noting that certain sectors of the campus population are often excluded from programming activities, she said she aims to offer a wide array of activities appealing to even the most disregarded groups.\n"Virtually everyone is a member of Union Board by virtue of the student activity fee," she said. "That's money they're paying; they deserve an equal say in where it goes."\nUnion Board election co-coordinator Stacy Kaplowitz, a junior, agreed with Gosman. \n"What is so unique about the Board is that students really have the say in what events are to be put on," she said. "For example, instead of complaining that 'so and so' should have put on a concert here instead of Indiana State, students have the opportunity to join the concerts committee and work with the director in the booking process. Being a part of the Board gives students the opportunity to get experience in event planning, and more importantly, in the execution process."\nElections will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the IMU East Lounge, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the ground floor of Ballantine Hall, and from noon to 8 p.m. in the Main Library lobby Tuesday. Results will be computer-tabulated Tuesday evening, according to the Union Board selection overview committee.