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It's a Mandate: SUNY Plattsburgh Students Approve Mandatory Fee

SUNY Plattsburgh students recently voted to retain a mandatory Student Association fee that helps underwrite more than 60 student clubs and organizations across campus.The 868-161 vote means that full-time students will continue paying $65 per semester to the SUNY Plattsburgh Student Association.Michael Cashman, Student Association president from Ballston Spa, N.Y., said the mandatory fee provides annual funding that is critical to the quality of students' lives at the College.He said the funding supports not only 64 clubs and organizations, but also a wide array of events, programs and services on and off campus. These include Springfest, Burghy Video Den, SA Shuttle, Burghy Bikes, President's Speaker Series and Homecoming.The fee also supports services not commonly associated with the Student Association, says Cashman. Among them are the Claude J. Clark Learning Center, which offers academic assistance to undergraduate and graduate students, and the Center for Service Learning and Volunteerism, which gets students and faculty involved with local non-profit organizations."I'm very, very pleased that the student body once again recognized that there is a lot of wealth in supporting our Student Association mandatory fee," said Cashman following the vote.The mandatory-fee referendum is required by the SUNY Board of Trustees and takes place every two years. The next vote is set for 2007.At SUNY Plattsburgh, students have never voted down the mandatory Student Association fee.

Election Results

SA Officers

Students also voted for SA officers during the recent election. Cashman, a graduate student in student affairs in professional practice and a 2003 SUNY Plattsburgh undergraduate, was re-elected president, with Kimberly Garrison winning the executive vice president spot. The following are the election results:
  • President: Michael Cashman, a graduate student in student affairs in professional practice from Ballston Spa, N.Y.
  • Executive Vice President: Kimberly Garrison, a sophomore anthropology major from Palatine Bridge, N.Y.
  • Vice President for Academics: Brian Young, a sophomore speech communications major from Glenville, N.Y.
  • Vice President for Activities: Jaleah Keitt, a junior economics major from Hollis, N.Y.
  • Vice President for Arts: Crystal Paolelli, a junior business and professional communication major from Jamesville, N.Y.
  • Vice President for Organizations: April Rodriquez, a junior adolescent education (English) major from Buffalo, N.Y.
  • Vice President for Central Affairs: Heather Graham, a junior special education (English) major from Argyle, N.Y.
  • Vice President for Finances: Andre Marshall, a senior accounting major from Bronx, N.Y.
  • Vice President for Student Services: Alissa Cody, a junior special education (social studies) major from Clifton Park, N.Y.
  • Chief Justice of the Student Court of Appeals: Allison Dickstein, a senior criminal justice major from Bronx, N.Y.

Associate Justices

  • Joseph Murphy, a junior audio, radio and digital media major from Cambridge, N.Y.
  • Don Ford, a junior criminal justice major from Mount Kisco
  • Kevin Curley, a sophomore nursing major from Brewster, N.Y.

New SA Senate

The following students were voted in as SA senators:
  • Andrew Rice, a freshman business major from Scotia, N.Y.
  • Heath Boomhower, a junior sociology major from East Berne, N.Y.
  • Keisha Fleming, a junior communications major from Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Bonnie Spafford, a sophomore general education major from Beacon, N.Y.
  • Juliana Salas, a junior broadcast journalism major from Rego Park, N.Y.
  • Ashley Bajohr, a junior sociology major from Camden, N.Y.
  • Dwight Wyatt, a senior adolescent education (social studies) major from Buffalo, N.Y.
  • Chris Ludlow, a sophomore political science major from Wallkill, N.Y.
  • Socrates Duffus, a senior physics major from Bronx, N.Y.
  • Kellisa Belgrave, a sophomore communications major from Barbados
  • Amanda Belden, a sophomore special education (English) major from Ticonderoga, N.Y.
  • Chris Neyenhouse, a sophomore speech communication major from Plattsburgh
  • Veronica Fallarino, a junior women's studies major from Schenectady, N.Y.
  • Jacob Avery, a freshman adolescent education (social studies) major from Vernon, N.Y.
  • Jonathan Fuchs, a sophomore sociology major from Tivoli, N.Y.

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