Daily Egyptian Politics Editor

A little-known student trustee candidate says his outsider status and low-key campaign will not hurt him on election day.

Bob Hanfland, a sophomore in biological sciences from Sigel, said though he has not served in Undergraduate Student Government, he has been involved with enough groups on campus that he has the experience to work with the SIU Board of Trustees.

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He has been involved with several groups such as Pre-Professionals of America, College Republicans and the Boomer Hall Council.

The tacit central theme to Hanfland’s campaign is empowerment of the student body, which he said can be hampered by administrators, who he calls uppity-ups, and lawmakers. For example, he is not opposed to the proposed $60 athletic fee increase but opposes the lack of student input the board considered when determining the amount and time frame of the increase.

Decisions like those seem like a lot of politics, but I can deal with that, he said. It’s what the student trustee has to do to represent the student body.

He also said the Accuracy in Campus Crime Reporting Act, or HR 715, infringes on the rights of students because one of its tenets is to make campus judicial hearings and student discipline records open to the public.

The University acts as a community of its own and should act as a community of its own, he said.

Hanfland said lack of student empowerment is not all the fault of administrators or lawmakers, though. He blames student apathy as a significant factor in a weak student voice on campus. To counter this, he plans to become a man of the people if elected.

I plan on visiting all organizations periodically, just to spend time with them and hear what they have to say, he said. I think it’s the best way to do it.

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Despite his concern for student empowerment, however, Hanfland said he would make a decision contrary to the desire of the student body if he felt he was more informed on the issue.

I don’t like a government that tells people what to do, but if I am well-informed and I think in the long run it is for the good of the people, I would make that unpopular decision, he said.

If he is not elected, Hanfland said he plans to get involved with USG. In the meantime, he is trying to jumpstart his campaign in hopes of pulling more votes before Wednesday’s election.

To be honest, I’m not at a disadvantage, he said. I probably know less people than my opponent and have less good contacts, but I know enough to be our next student trustee.