Defeated SA candidate ready to `go all the way'

by Liz Carter

Coalition presidential candidate Patrick Lalor was disappointed, but not defeated when Dean of Students William Munson told him Tuesday that the administration would not intervene in Students' Association politics.

"SA does police itself without the administration," Munson said. "It's not my position to intervene in SA political life."

Lalor filed a complaint with Munson after the Student Hearing Board ruled that elections were valid even though Cougar Party members admitted to unethical campaigning practices.

Lalor claims he and other party members saw President-elect John Moore exchanging shirts for votes and walking students to the poll tables.

Lalor suggested the Hearing Board was prejudiced in its ruling because it is appointed by SA.

"It's a vicious circle," Lalor said. "We keep coming back to the SA that makes its own rules and enforces its own rules."

Munson, who listened to Lalor's complaint for 15 minutes, said he could only take action against SA if members broke Student Life policy, university policy or Texas law.

Last year, a complaint was filed with the Dean of Students after the Hearing Board ruled that Senate Speaker Jennifer Zuber and Jason Fuller could not participate in SA elections because of forgery allegations.

Zuber said she called members asking for their permission, while Fuller, who took responsibility for the forgery, actually signed their names to the applications.

The complaint was dropped by the dean during the final exam period last year, Zuber said. The election commissioner, who filed the complaint, never formally pressed the complaint.

Lalor said, "It's not about Patrick Lalor being president. It's about fees going to something that is blatant fraud."

If there was a process in which the administration and the Board of Regents could regulate SA, unethical practices would not occur year after year, Lalor said.

Munson suggested that Lalor file a complaint with Provost Jack Ivancevich, who oversees SA's $93,000 budget.

"If they are so committed to UH, they should be willing to do the job for free," Lalor said.

Lalor said he will go all the way to the Texas Legislature because 33,000 students are paying fees to fund an SA that was elected in an unethical election.

He said he will take his complaint to Elwyn Lee, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services before going to Ivancevich or the Texas Legislature.