More than 100 students filed in to 100 Willamette Monday night to hear presentations on a litany of grievances against the University administration as a part of the an event to take control of campus.
Supporters of the wrestling team joined those angered by the loss of Holy Cow restaurant in the EMU, international students upset about the dismissal of faculty, and students campaigning to make ethnic studies a University department.
They were joined by those concerned with the prospect of a proposed University police department with 25 to 55 officers and those who want to fund composting on campus. Student government representatives were also there to explain what the ASUO does and how it operates.
“The first step you can take is voting in ASUO elections,” Elections Outreach Coordinator Andrew Jenson said. “Aside from that, if you really want to get involved, the elections are coming at the beginning of next term, and you could run.”
Several student senators and Executive staff members were in attendance, as were many representatives of student programs who were allowed to attend the event in place of a mandatory Programs Council Meeting.
Senate Vice President Patrick Boye spoke about problems students have faced in trying to obtain information about the University’s proposed new arena. He said the administration “became extremely frustrated with being asked questions by students.”
Boye said that at the beginning of fall term, the University Senate, on which he sits as one of five student representatives, was talking about a University housing plan. He said the talks have stopped and focus has shifted to building the new arena and the use of Phil Knight’s $100 million donation.
He said that students who went to Salem to testify before the Legislature convinced two state senators to vote against state bonds to finance the arena in a committee hearing.
“If 10 students can change two senators with two hours of preparation, think of what 100 of us can do,” Boye said.
While other students expressed similar hopeful sentiments, there was at least one naysayer in the room.
Ryan McCarrel, a political science major, addressed the students left in the room at the end of all of the presentations and railed against the ASUO for not representing all of the student body. He said an institution outside of the ASUO was needed where all students could actively participate.
He was booed repeatedly and interrupted by Boye and others.
ASUO President Emily McLain said it sounded like McCarrel “wants a lot of the same stuff everybody else wants.”
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