Not only is next week the last of the school year, but it is also Missouri Southern’s student body election week.

On April 29-30, Southern students will let their voices be heard by voting on two key issues: the campus-wide smoking ban and the controversial ROAR Fund. Along with those issues, students will vote for Student Senate executive officer positions. The positions up for the taking are president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary.

As previously seen in The Chart, the ROAR Fund has caused debate among faculty and students lying on either side of the issue.

The ROAR Fund would implement a $4 per credit hour fee, capped at $60, which would help fund facility improvements for athletics. Improvements that the fund would assist with include a new video board at Fred G. Hughes Stadium, new band uniforms, new sound and lighting Leggett & Platt Athletic Center and a new soccer and intramural field, among other things.

The other big issue on the ballot is the proposed smoking and tobacco ban that would prevent students or faculty members from smoking on campus. This includes vapor-based smoking devices.

Currently, there is a policy that requires students and faculty to smoke 50 feet from the doors, but lack of signs and knowledge of this policy has resulted in the rule being generally overlooked.

With the proposal, no designated smoking area would be created for people who smoke.

Senate cited several reasons for requesting the ban on smoking. In their proposal, they state that several other schools are smoke and tobacco free, including Pittsburg State University and the University of Missouri.