ASUO President Emma Kallaway and Vice President Getachew Kassa raised concerns at Wednesday night’s Senate meeting about an Emerald article published Nov. 13 on newly appointed Sen. Mercedes White Calf’s criminal record.
Kassa questioned the relevance of the new senator’s past convictions to her political qualifications, while Kallaway’s criticism centered on how race factored into the news coverage.
“When an article is written one week about a white male (Sen. Ben Fisher, featured in “Calm, cool and collected,” ODE, Nov. 10) that is written very favorably, and then the next week an article is printed about a Native-American female that is wholly negative, we have a serious race problem here,” Kallaway said at the meeting.
She went on to address the issue of senators who have been vocal about this point of contention.
“The greater concern is of perpetuating drama,” Kallaway said “It’s unnecessary and it doesn’t aid in our ability to do our job.”
Kallaway added, “Veterans in the ASUO chose to go to the media instead of having a dialogue,” referencing an online comment posted by Sen. Alex McCafferty.
McCafferty, whose name appears on his online comment, verified Thursday that he wrote the comment, which reads, “This was not brought to the attention of the Senate before or during the confirmation hearing, and the conversation would have gone very differently. I am very disappointed in both the candidate and the executive.”
McCafferty said he was surprised by the conversation that arose at the meeting, especially because neither Kallaway nor Kassa had approached him.
“All I expressed was disappointment and I think it is well within my right to express disappointment,” McCafferty said. McCafferty said he stood by his comment.
I think I am acting more professional by actually putting my name on the post and making myself known to the public,” he said. “If somebody has a problem with me, they would be able to read my name and come approach me directly. Unfortunately, the executive chose not to do that.”
McCafferty said that knowledge of White Calf’s record before the vote would not have changed his vote. But he would have liked the information to have come from the executive, he said.
“I was really surprised to find the information after the hearing,” he said. “It’s an issue of transparency; (the executive) could and should have found a way to make the issue recognized.”
He added that the executive brought up the issue of race inappropriately.
“I would have been equally as disappointed if the candidate were a white male,” he said. “Bringing in racism was premature and out of context.”
Kassa, who headed the hiring committee that appointed White Calf, said he did not disclose the information because he didn’t feel it was within his duties.
“I make big distinctions between someone’s past and someone’s past in the ASUO,” Kassa said. “It’s not in my purview for me to know that information. That’s where I was coming from.”
White Calf was the first to speak after the executive voiced its concerns.
“It’s sad that this has come to the table; I’ve been viewed in such a negative light,” she said. “It is what it is. I’m glad it happened to me because I can take it; it has only encouraged me to strive to do better.”
She went on to say that she welcomed input if any of the senators harbored ill feelings toward her, but she defended her right as a representative of the student body.
“I have just as much right to be here,” she said. “I’ve paid my debt back to society.”
Senate Vice President Nick Schultz had the final comments on the issue, offering White Calf a warm greeting to the Senate.
“Welcome to the body,” he said. “In addition to that, I want to say that in light of any controversy, you’re on the team.”
Schultz advised senators at the meeting to “leave it in the past and move on with business.”

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