The racial and political diversity of the ASUO was debated as the Student Senate confirmed six appointees at a final emergency meeting during finals week. Lee Warnecke, an outspoken moderate who for more than a year held the seat representing undeclared majors, resigned at the end of the meeting.
Former Emerald columnist Nik Antovich was confirmed as a new associate justice on the ASUO Constitution Court with seven senators voting in his favor, five voting against him and two abstentions.
Antovich is not a law student and has little experience in the ASUO. He identified himself as a constructionist and a libertarian, but said he would be willing to set ideologies aside while in office.
Sen. Nick Schultz said the discussions of race and politics went too far off track, but he thought they needed to happen.
“The student population is largely white and we need to look to students who are under-represented,” Schultz said. That includes students who are parents and students of different political backgrounds, he said. “We need to make sure that everyone is equally represented.”
Daniel Patton was confirmed as an executive appointee to the Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee. Patton spoke about fiscal responsibility and his right to vote against OSPIRG. Sen. Lidiana Soto voted against confirming Patton to the post.
Soto said she objected to Patton’s appointment because executive appointees “were all coming from the same demographic.” Patton is a white male.
“When I’m voting for something, I think how is this affecting the marginalized communities before anything else,” Soto said in a telephone interview. “When I saw a lot of the appointees we had before, I wasn’t sure if they were aware of a lot of these issues that a lot of students face.”
ASUO multicultural advocate and former presidential candidate Kari Herinckx told senators that it was important to have a discussion about racial representation.
ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz said he takes “full responsibility” for his appointments.
“I would hope that anyone who is brought up for confirmation before the Senate would be judged by their merits, not by the color of their skin,” he said.
Brendan Good, who ran for a seat on the Athletic Department Finance Committee in 2007 and has worked with the Jewish Student Union, was confirmed to an at-large seat on the Department Finance Committee.
Alexandra Runyan was appointed to an at-large seat on the EMU Board of Directors. While Runyan does not have much experience in the ASUO, she does have extensive experience in the campus Greek community, which Summer Senate Vice Chair Nick Schultz pointed out were positive attributes to some senators.
Another appointee to the EMU Board, Sheena Lahren, is a transfer student who has been at the University for two terms. Dotters-Katz said she has already become very involved around campus.
Shiraz Bengali was appointed to an at-large seat on the Department Finance Committee.
Sen. Tina Snodgrass was elected to represent the Senate on the Student Recreation Center Advisory Board. Snodgrass said she had significant understanding of the SRC from working in Club Sports. Sen. Tyler Scandalios also ran for the position and said the SRC board should have greater autonomy and the center should again be funded by the incidental fee.
Eight senators voted for Snodgrass, three voted for Scandalios and three abstained.
At the end of the meeting, Warnecke announced his resignation. Warnecke told the Emerald it was time for him to resign because he was no longer as excited about the ASUO as he had been a year ago. He said he plans to volunteer for a local non-profit organization.
Warnecke said his resignation will allow a student who is actually an undeclared major, preferably a freshman living in a residence hall, to fill the seat, permitting closer ties to the constituency the position is intended to represent. Warnecke is now a political science major.
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