Besides electing ASUNM representatives and approving legislation, students voting in Wednesday's election can consider what types of food they would like to eat when the SUB reopens in the fall.
The ballot options, coupled with a series of student and faculty forums scheduled for later this week, will play an important role as Student Union food contractor Aramark Corp. lines up food vendors, said SUB Board President Rosalyn Nguyen. The company has relationships with many national food franchises, she said.
"The more people request certain venues, the more they'll drive to do it for the SUB," she said. "The reason why student opinion is so important is that instead of just going through the board, the requests have to go through Aramark. If there aren't enough opinions, it might not be taken seriously."
Plans are already in place to offer chicken, Italian and New Mexican food. The other three restaurant options will depend on student and staff response, Nguyen said.
A convenience store is also planned for the building, SUB Director Walter Miller said. He added that the food service area will have indoor seating for 700 people.
Wednesday's election ballot will offer choices of Asian food, a salad and vegetarian option, hamburgers, deli sandwiches, Greek food, soup, and smoothies and juices, according to the Associated students of UNM Web site. Voters can select up to four choices.
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Students also will be able to choose one non-food retail site, such as a hair salon, mail and package shop or record store.
Nguyen said the board, which comprises 15 students and staff, visited student union buildings at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona in February to see what students were offered. Both had non-food commercial facilities such as a Mastercuts hair salon and a travel agency.
But, she said, UNM's unique student demographics would probably have different needs.
"We're much more a commuter school," she said. "We need to know if something like that would work on our campus."
One of the ideas that the board did bring back from Arizona was a stand-alone e-mail terminal.
"Everyone's constantly checking e-mail, so why not have it right there?" Nguyen said.
Miller said the terminal would be placed outside of the SUB computer pod.
Nguyen, who is also an ASUNM senator, said she hopes adding the food choices to the ballot will increase voter turnout, which is historically low.
"A lot of the voters who do vote are involved in student organizations, because they're the ones who are kept informed," she said. "The commuters are the least likely to vote because they just come to go to class and go home. If they vote for this, you'll get a lot of voters for ASUNM that wouldn't have been there, so it helps both ways."
Aramark and the SUB board will hold forums Thursday and Friday to get the opinion of medical school, law and graduate students, as well as other groups not represented in the election.
Forums will also be held for undergraduate students. For information about the forums, call 277-0797.
