Koushi Sunder, a sophomore finance and economics major, is running for Programs Finance Senator, Seat 2.
 
Emerald: Quickly summarize your priorities.
Sunder: My ultimate priority is fairness for all that bring a budget in front of us. I feel that the UO is a second home for all students here and that it is important to find programs that will … help the majority of students, like the Lane Transit District, the Emerald — but then there are also students here … who want specialized programs, such as the Hawaii Club and the Jewish club and things like that, and I guess my biggest priority is to give all programs that are proposed in front of us equal treatment.
I am a student and I know what it’s like to look at your bills from the UO and not know what half the fees go to, and a big thing on my agenda is to make sure everyone does know what their money is going toward because that is really important. Everyone works hard for their money.
Emerald: What’s your fiscal philosophy in regard to the incidental fee?
Sunder: I believe mainly that we will not have a negative budget, or a budget deficit, and that the incidental fee will be allocated where all students can see directly where their money is going so no one is like, “What is this fee?” People will know exactly where it is. You know, like every time they call DDS or (Assault Prevention Shuttle) they know that that is what their fees are going for.
Emerald: Where do you stand on incidental fee money for off-campus purposes, such as the United States Student Association, the Oregon Student Association and OSPIRG?
Sunder: I guess you’d have to look at how it would impact the students’ lives. If they are programs that students feel is something that they need or that affects them greatly, then whether they are off campus or on campus, they should be sponsored. But if the students feel that no, their campus budget is not affected at all by these programs, or very minimally, then that should be taken into accordance.
Emerald: How will you work to ensure a viewpoint-neutral PFC process?
Sunder: I think that a big thing I have in my favor right now is that I have not been previously associated with the ASUO — this would be my first year with them. I think that alone gives me a very viewpoint-nuetral standpoint.
Emerald: What’s your favorite reality television show, and how does it relate to your campaign?
Sunder: In all honesty, I don’t even like reality TV shows. Oh, I did watch “American Idol,” the first one. I can’t say that it relates to the campaign at all. May the most talented win?

— Parker Howell