Jeff Hendryx, a junior history major, is running for Programs Finance Committee, At-large position, two-year term.
 
Emerald: Quickly summarize your priorities.
Hendryx: First and foremost, to make sure that all budgets are equally fair. I don’t want to see any single budget looked at in a way that’s going to put it above any other — they’re all equally important. Second, just to make sure that student incidental fees, especially with the 12 percent increase that we’re looking at next year in tuition, that the incidental fee is going to be used in a way that’s not going to abuse the students.
Emerald: What’s your fiscal philosophy in regard to the incidental fee?
Hendryx: The incidental fee is paid by the students, so I think it should be there for use by the students, that’s just cut and dry, they should be the ones that get the benefit out of it. I have no problem with it going to benefit other things in the community, but I really think that first and foremost it should be for the students.
Emerald: Where do you stand on spending money for off-campus purposes, such as the United States Student Association, the Oregon Student Association and OSPIRG?
Hendryx: That’s the kind of thing you need to take on a case-by-case basis. If it actually does something to benefit the students, like an OSPIRG campaign to lower the price of textbooks, I think that’s a good thing. But if we’re spending money that isn’t directly benefiting the students, I don’t think that’s what the incidental fee is for, I think that’s where fund raising and that type of capital campaign comes in.
Emerald: How will you work to ensure a viewpoint-neutral PFC process?
Hendryx: Basically by making sure that I don’t get into a situation where there’s any kind of a conflict of interest, such as if a budget comes up where I’m involved in it in any way, if it’s going to impact me directly, I would be inclined to abstain from voting because I don’t want to make that opportunity where it looks as though anything going on with the student incidental fees is anything other than across the board.
Emerald: What’s your favorite reality television show, and how does it relate to your campaign?
Hendryx: I try not to watch those shows, but if I had to pick one I’d go with “Fear Factor” because with the 120-plus budgets that the PFC has to go over it’s kind of like how on “Fear Factor” there’s stuff that is frightening, but at the same time it’s got really good rewards at the end.

— Jennifer Marie Bear