Business sophomore Mariam Zakaria launched her campaign Tuesday for the senator-at-large position of the UH Student Government Association.
Zakaria’s campaign will focus on tuition issues, campus security and a more environmentally friendly campus.
‘I really feel our University has a lot of resources and opportunities, but we’re just not using them efficiently,’ business sophomore Zakaria said.
‘ Zakaria said, if elected to senator-at-large, her current projects as the SGA C. T. Bauer College of Business senator would roll over to her new position.’
‘I’ve been working very closely with the tuition fee task force, working with the administration on how to decrease our tuition and put a tuition cap, and also implement Governor Perry’s proposal on the tuition freeze,’ Zakaria said.’
SGA’s tuition projects include a proposal to proportionally increase financial aid as tuition costs increase, and to cover all educational expenses for students who come from families with more than 4 members and a combined income of less than $30,000.’
The Department of Parking and Transportation has also proposed two new garages, but Zakaria believes it is time for students to see the change they want. ‘
‘(Parking and Transportation) wants to increase prices for our permits and citations, but if it takes you 30 minutes just to find parking and here they are doubling parking prices, where is all that money going?’ Zakaria said.
Zakaria said improving campus security is critical and plans to push for increased lighting around campus.’
‘As a senator, I helped organize Walk in the Dark last semester and it has proven to be very pivotal,’ she said.’
A Walk in the Dark, a nighttime tour of campus, was launched in 2002. The walk is led by members of Plant Operations and the UH Department of Public Safety.’
She also plans to budget time and expenses for increased advertising and personnel for Cougar Patrol.’
‘Many of us have to stay late at night and students can call Cougar Patrol for an escort at anytime, but most of them don’t even know about this,’ Zakaria said.’
In addition, she plans to help launch a bio-diesel program to create a more environmental friendly campus.’
‘We’re basically going to take cooking oil from UH kitchens and convert it into fuel that can be used for lawnmowers and shuttles around campus,’ Zakaria said.’
Zakaria is a candidate from the Red Now Coalition. ‘
‘A lot of us (Red Now Coalition) are incumbents and have been in student government, so we know who to talk to when the problem arises,’ she said. ‘We may not agree with everything, but the one thing we do agree on is to serve students and we don’t want their voice to go unheard.’
Among other election candidates from the Red Now Coalition are Alex Obregon, SGA President running candidate, and Laura Bobrick, SGA Vice President candidate.
Both Zakaria and Obregon have worked in partnership with the USA Today Collegiate Leadership program to provide students with The New York Times, USA Today and The Houston Chronicle for free in newsstands across campus by fall 09.’
‘We hope to increase awareness among students both of what’s going on oncampus and outside our campus, and (access to newspapers) is just a start,’ Zakaria said.’
‘ Whether tuition, parking, campus safety or an environmentally friendly campus, Zakaria said these issues are of immediacy and will be addressed first.’
‘There’s not a single problem that we can’t attack,’ Zakaria said. ‘And there’s not a single problem that we can’t fix.’
