The field of undergraduates running for positions on the University Park Allocation Committee has shrunk to seven this spring from a record high of 22 registered candidates last year.

The reduced interest in the eight elected seats on UPAC has come as a shock to many, only a month after the committee's funds for 2000-2001 dried up prematurely and left many student groups seeking other ways to find money.

"I really had expected more," said Eddie Elizondo, outgoing UPAC chairman. He said that after last year's "amazing" turnout, it is unfortunate to see fewer people interested in running for the positions.

UPAC distributes income collected from the student activity fee, pegged at $38 a semester and the lowest in the Big Ten.

The current number of contenders more closely reflects the 1999 election when three write-in candidates joined the five students who were on the ballot.

Write-in votes would probably play a role in voting on Mar. 28, when students will also pick representatives for the Undergraduate Student Government and the Association of Residence Hall Students, Elizondo said.

But based on the hope that enough people would run, he said that UPAC had not made extra plans to advertise the practice of writing in names of students who did not collect 50 nominating signatures by 5 p.m. Monday.

At least two USG presidential tickets this spring are proposing students should elect all the seats on UPAC, and another ticket is requesting an investigation into why the student activity money ran out so soon.

The 35-member allocation committee consists of 10 elected positions — including two for graduate students — and 25 chosen through an interview process with student leaders.

Tom Murtaugh (sophomore-business administration), USG vice presidential candidate, said he was surprised to hear that only seven people are vying for spots on UPAC. He and his running mate, Katelyn Belyus (sophomore-liberal arts), want to make all places on the committee student-elected.

"It should be a consensus of all the students on campus, not just a select few," Murtaugh said. He added their platform idea had arisen out of the results of last year's election, when more than a dozen of the candidates walked away without a UPAC seat.

Robert Michaels (junior-political science), who is running for USG president along with Claudia Lum (freshman-premedicine), was aware of the smaller candidate field yesterday. He said he thinks the present system — about one-third elected and two-thirds appointed — is one of the reasons discouraging more students from running.

Michaels said they are planning a bill that would open up all 35 UPAC slots for undergraduate and graduate elections. Any remaining vacancies would then be filled by the "old system" of interviewing applicants.

Matt Rokita (junior-chemical engineering) and Sushil Nanavati (junior-computer engineering) do not find any major faults with the way UPAC members are chosen. Instead, they want to investigate how to avoid repeating this year's early fund drought.