Ingram intends to reform

Student body president candidate Rick Ingram has been a politician since childhood.

“I’ve always loved politics,” he said. “My parents always say that I was campaigning when I was four years old outside the grocery store.”

In place of promoting the 1992 presidential candidates, Ingram is now promoting himself.

Some have complained he started too early.

In early December, the Board of Elections decided to investigate Ingram based on an unaddressed e-mail to a board member inviting him to work on Ingram’s campaign – an e-mail that some interpreted as falling under the Student Code’s definition of public campaigning. Possible candidates are prohibited from publicly campaigning until they declare their candidacy.

The board dropped the investigation citing insufficient evidence. In addition to that investigation, Ingram’s campaign has been the subject of several others. He was fined $12.50 on Tuesday for premature dorm-storming.

Ingram dismissed the fine as a slap on the wrist. And he said he hasn’t let the complaints put a damper on his determination.

If anything, he said the complaints have had the opposite effect.

“There are going to be people who are going to try to knock you down and stop you from meeting your goals,” he said, “but that doesn’t stop you — it makes you stronger.”

Ingram said the complaints that have swirled around his campaign and others have not dampened his resolve to help others.

He said the most important part of his campaign is helping students afford UNC’s escalating price tag by decreasing student fees.

Because of the anticipated $3.7 billion state deficit, Ingram said in-state students may see a tuition increase of nearly $1,000 next year.

To his campaign staff, that is unacceptable.

“Having a public university no one can afford is worthless,” said Billy Kluttz, one of Ingram’s three campaign managers.

Their plan is to dissect every student fee, looking at their planned usage and actual utility. Under-utilized fees would be lowered.

Ingram said he also hopes to build a better relationship between student government and the student body, something his campaign believes to be severely lacking.

“Students appreciated being asked to get involved,” said Jeff DeLuca, a member of Ingram’s campaign team. “Students don’t feel connected, but they want to. You just have to ask them.”

Ingram would put student organizations into communities based on similar interests.

He attributed the volume of complaints to his plans to reform student government.

“The system works well for them, but it doesn’t work well for other students,” Ingram said. “When you stand up and reject that the system is working for everyone, you’re going to get a little bit of a backlash, and I think that’s what happened.”

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