Students at the University of Oregon come from various different hometowns, hold a wide array of beliefs and study vastly different subjects, but there is one thing that unites us all: everybody has at least one complaint about the way our school is run.
Critiquing our social surroundings is natural — even the proudest Ducks can think of some element of their college experience that they would like to modify.
Whether you feel that student workers are underpaid, you want more money to be allotted to your favorite club or you simply wish you could see the syllabus of a course before enrolling, we each have a suggestion on how to improve the school we know and love.
Oftentimes, these complaints fall on deaf ears. Students don’t always have accessible forums to share their opinions, and various student movements have resulted in little to no concrete change, such as the push for wheelchair accessibility in older dorms or for more eco-friendly thermal systems in campus buildings. In many cases, the path to equity is long and complex, and solutions can arrive frustratingly slowly.
However, students may have more power than they realize. Namely, they have the ability to participate in the Associated Students of the University of Oregon elections each spring term.
ASUO is a student government organization that performs many crucial roles regarding school policy, peer advising and student advocacy here on campus.
Notably, they are tasked with managing the Incidental Fee, a fee paid by all students as part of their tuition. ASUO representatives are responsible for allocating the $1.5 million of projected I-Fee money to support the UO’s clubs, affinity groups and free services like Duck Rides, ASUO Legal Services, student bus passes, the ASUO Street Faire and the Basic Needs Program.
ASUO elections were conducted both electronically and in person from April 7-11, and all students were eligible to vote on their picks for president, vice president and student senate.
Voting might be a five-minute inconvenience, but it is a worthwhile one — these roles directly impact students’ quality of life. ASUO representatives are in charge of budgeting the money that we all contribute, and how they choose to spend it will determine what privileges we can access.
Last year, 2,572 people voted in the ASUO elections, or 11% of the student body. This year, the number has slightly declined, as only 2,492, or 10%, of students voted.
As the school grows and student involvement takes a prominent place on our campus, as evidenced by last year’s pro-Palestine encampments and this year’s union organization, one might expect the level of ASUO involvement to significantly increase — so why hasn’t it?
“I’ve never voted in an ASUO election before because I’ve never been informed about the significance of the student government or told about its candidates,” said Sofía Guzmán, a junior who is not involved in any student clubs.
Rain Roark, a sophomore, voted for the first time this year. They attributed their decision to the publicity that the election received through UO clubs: “I was compelled to vote because I kept hearing my friends in club leadership talk about how ASUO felt like a huge roadblock to their clubs’ funding.”
I believe that the election’s low turnout is due in part to the fact that the ASUO’s importance is mostly promoted through clubs, overlooking the large portion of the student body who are not members of any student organization.
Students who are not highly involved in clubs might not realize that the ASUO’s decisions impact them too — however, it is ASUO programs that give them access to free food, bus passes, childcare, and more.
If you have ever benefited from an ASUO-funded service, it is in your best interest to vote on candidates who you trust to continue funding and advocating for that service. In future elections, I encourage all students to vote, whether involved in club life or not — the UO is our school, and we all should have a say in its leadership.
