Saunders College of Business Senate Race 2008

Three newcomers are running for the chance to represent Saunders College of Business by becoming the school’s senator in this year’s student government elections. Since Carlos Cornejo, the current senator, is running for SG President and not his senate seat, a few have shown interest in replacing him as the College of Business Senator.

David Koster, third year graphic media marketing major, is currently the President of the RIT chapter of the American Marketing Association, where he had to work closely with Cornejo, and helped form a newsletter for SCB in 2007. “My reason for running for senator,” Koster said in his Elections Application, “is my own dissatisfaction with commitment to community that the school severely lacks.” He also believed that things “…didn’t get done for the wrong reasons.” His plan, if elected, is to expand co-op opportunities at career fairs, be more vocal on what does exist, and communicate better with SCB students. “If people actually care” said Koster, “that’s what I’m doing.”

Rachel Deutshman, a third year marketing major, is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma as of spring 2007 and of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. With Phi Sigma Pi she helped organize the Brick City 5K in the fall of 2007 and was head of the committee for Karen’s Walk from June 2007- Winter 2007. “My goal is to strengthen the Saunders College of Business community,” said Deutshman in her Elections Application. Problems she thought that needed to change was the apathy outside of class for SCB students, and having students aware of policy changes. If elected she would have more clubs that would exercise the skills the students learn in class to real life, increase collaboration and student involvement in SCB clubs.

Robert Buda, first year accounting major, is currently a Zamboni driver at the RIT Frank Ritter arena. What got him interested in running was his interest in government and he wanted to see what he could do on campus and for the business school. If elected he wants to connect the “three schools [undergraduate, graduate, and NTID],” together and “make the community tighter.” With Buda being a first year he believes that he would not only be in office longer, but he would have to “live up” to his “mistakes” and would be able to fix it. “If elected I’m a worker for [students],” he said.

Problems that the candidates all agree upon are the lack of community, communication, and activities for the SCB. “Keep students aware on what’s going on in the college,” said Deutshman. Students are missing out on lots of opportunities only because, according to the candidates, they didn’t even know that it was available for them. They also agree that participation is a must from both student government and business students themselves. “If it’s not in every student’s mind, then it’s not good enough,” said Koster. Another concern is fact that at career fairs there aren’t many employers for SCB students and there aren’t as many networking opportunities for the SCB students as well. “Student government has seemed invisible other than fliers and events with their logos on it,” said Buda in his Elections Application, “to me this is one of the biggest problems with the student government relating to regular students.”