After five years of nixing the idea, the undergraduate student body finally agreed to a student activities fee increase, but the proposal faces yet another hurdle.
Duke Student Government's referendum to increase the main funding source for many student groups from $59.38 to $64.38 per student passed Tuesday, 877-729. Of an undergraduate population of 5,937 students, about 27 percent voted in yesterday's election.
Trinity junior Josh Howard said, however, that he plans to file a complaint against the elections commission for possible campaign violations. Howard claims that DSG bylaws were violated when flyers urging students to vote in favor of the increase were posted too far in advance of the elections and too close to polling stations on campus.
"It was a grossly unfair system of polling," Howard said. "This was less of a referendum and more of a... dictatorship. I expect to see this in Guatemala, not in the East Campus Union."
Although he had spoken out against the increase prior to the referendum on behalf of College Republicans, which he chairs, Howard said his complaint is a personal effort.
"This is my own concern and one I've shared with quite a few students," he said.
If the complaint is dismissed by DSG officials, Trinity senior John Tolsma, DSG president, said he is eager to prove to students the fiscal responsibility of the DSG legislature and the Student Organizations Finance Committee, the branch of DSG responsible for budgeting money to student groups.
"I think the election results speaks about the real challenges students see in managing this money," Tolsma said, referring to the narrow margin of victory. "We intend to take that challenge very seriously."
Student group leaders said the money will make a significant difference in their programming in the year to come.
"Spectrum didn't get much money this year, so we'll be eager to see what we can do next year," said Trinity junior Preeti Kulkarni, co-president of Spectrum Organization.
Tolsma also said he is eager to create a $20,000 programming fund with part of the fee increase which would be earmarked for groups to experiment with new and different types of programming. Tolsma said he hopes to work with the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council and the administration of Trinity College to devise innovative programming ideas.
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