We commend ASUO President Adam Walsh for vetoing on Friday a recent funding request by the ASUO Women’s Center for a conference series that he said used discriminatory language in an e-mail invitation for the event.
The ASUO Student Senate on Jan. 18 passed a $6,300 request to bring former Women’s Center director Erin O’Brien to the University to host a workshop on oppression.
The original e-mail sent to student groups on Jan. 18 stated that the conference was designed for those “who identify with oppression on the basis of race, gender and gender identity, sexuality, and or dis/ability. Women, people of color, LGBTIQQ, gender Queer and dis/abled participants only.”
For people who do not identify? Enrollment “may be possible but requires prior instructor approval and is based on space availability,” according to the e-mail.
These requirements clearly exclude white, straight males.
Green Tape Notebook rules prohibit ASUO officials from spending student money on activities that exclude any part of the University population, prohibiting such an invitation.
Although the Women’s Center later clarified that the event is open to everyone, we are disappointed that an e-mail with such language was sent in the first place. The subject of the lecture series makes the e-mail particularly ironic; we hope that all members of this community can be included in any discussions about alternatives to oppression.
Now that this conference is open to all students, we urge the Senate to follow Walsh’s recommendation and overrule the veto.
Senators also debated last week the merits of passing a resolution weighing in on taking a stance against the Iranian government’s nuclear program. Senator Jared Axelrod said he would propose a resolution at tonight’s meeting, saying the leader of Iran is “crazy” and that an Iranian nuclear program is “threatening to Israel and American interests, as well.”
We oppose such a resolution for two reasons.
Foremost, the Senate has no role in international politics. Crafting resolutions about “unclassy” fan behavior at football games or whether or not to play schools that use indigenous mascots are valid uses of Senate time and energy; students are closely involved with such matters and a show of support by the Senate may influence students’ or administrators’ behavior.
International diplomacy, however, extends beyond the scope of the Senate’s power and influence. Moreover, this is an extremely complicated issue with the potential to be divisive among the student body.
As representatives of students, the senators must represent all of their constituents.
Students from Iran and other countries from the Middle East may strongly disagree with this stance.
We recognize Israel’s traditional role as our nation’s long-time strategic partner in the Middle East. Yet we also acknowledge that we cannot help facilitate peace in the Middle East by looking at the situation from a strictly pro-Israeli stance.
While such a resolution may be good-intentioned, we strongly encourage the Senate to reject it swiftly and turn its attention to matters more closely tied to students.