Hard work has payed off for Erin Maghran. The junior Student Association comptroller assumed the position as a freshman and in two years erased a $1.5 million budget deficit and improved student fee fund allocations.

Maghran, a junior triple major in political science, policy studies, and public relations, said she is running for comptroller again this year because although she has eliminated the deficit, work still remains.

“Communication needs to be increased with more time and another year. There needs to be stability with (Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning),” Maghran said.

Cathy Maghran, Erin’s mother, said Erin has been and would continue to be a good SA comptroller. She added that Erin works hard and has always dedicated herself to every activity she participated in.

“From the time she was a kid she was always so into things we had to slow her down,” her mother said.

Maghran actively participated in student government during her high school years in Hamburg and has also interned with a local congressman, her mother said.

Maghran said the new OGL&EL office has been great to work with, but has resulted in some difficulties because of the new administration in office. Communication has been difficult at times but is improving, she said.

“It is a good working relationship,” Maghran said. “I am at their office at least seven times a day staying in contact and making sure we are all on the same page.”

Maghran said the new collaboration between SA and OGL&EL has allowed a representative from OGL&EL to sit on the SA finance board, which decides where to allocate student activity funds. Maghran added that she is working with OGL&EL on a database that can keep track of all financial numbers.

Kate Anthony, a junior policy studies major and Maghran’s roommate, said Maghran was in charge of an overhaul as comptroller and implemented an easier system of dispersing funds to student groups. This has resulted in a more even distribution of the funds.

One problem Maghran noted is lack of attendance and participation during finance board meetings, but she said the situation has greatly improved during her time as comptroller.

“It used to be that I was the only one asking questions, but now I sit down and can hardly get a question out before another member is already asking a question,” Maghran said. Because of the good working relationship between SA and OGL&EL, OGL&EL will possibly offer increased training for finance board members.

An issue that came up in the SA debate involved how the comptroller would hand out funds to groups who have had problems with SA in the past. An organization’s conflict with SA., the financial board or the comptroller personally does not affect the decision of how the group is funded, Maghran said. She works with all organizations on campus whether they like her personally or not, and therefore remains unbiased in the allocation of student activity funds, she added.

“I deal with each organization separately because they all are somehow making an impact and are important to a certain section of the campus,” she said.

Anthony said Maghran brings qualities of fairness and honesty to the comptroller position. Maghran really cares about the job and the students it affects and is very accessible to students, Anthony said.

“Well, Erin rarely sleeps so she’s always accessible,” Anthony said.

Ingrid Skoog, a junior mathematics and computer science major and one of Maghran’s friends, said she is one of the hardest workers she knows. Maghran has worked hard in the past for students and would continue to do so.

“In order to spend time with Erin I need to go to the (SA) office,” Skoog said.”I have kind of become a part of SA because of having to go see her at the office.”

Published on November 4, 2002 at 12:00 pm