Slate #1

Cassi Gritzmacher

• Desired position: ASUO President
• Major, year in school, age: Journalism (public relations), third year, 21
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
CG: We want to increase the
relatability, the relevance of the ASUO in general, and speak to students who aren’t necessarily interested in the ASUO as of right now. We are also interested in continuing environmental progressivity and just instituting new things that keep U of O known as a really green school … And then we’re interested in keeping the fiscal aspect of the ASUO really transparent and accountable.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
CG: I would say that the most relevant qualification that I have is my experience on the ASUO executive last year. I was marketing director, so I got to help plan the Street Faire.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
CG: I think the student incidental fee is at the amount it’s supposed to be. It’s important that we keep the incidental fee used for funds that are relevant to students on campus.
ODE: How would you rate Richard Lariviere’s performance as president? What is his most important policy?
CG: I actually couldn’t tell you his most important policy, but I think that he’s doing a great job so far.
ODE: What is your stance on development on the Riverfront?
CG: We think that it is important to make sure that the student voice is heard … to make sure that it’s sustainable.
ODE: What is your take on the Pacifica Forum?
CG: …I don’t necessarily know that it’s the student government’s role to say that they aren’t allowed to use University of Oregon facilities … that’s just an overstep of the boundary altogether, but I’m happy that they’re off campus.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
CG: I don’t necessarily support OSPIRG returning to campus because I don’t think that it’s a proper use of the incidental fee. I don’t think that they’ve been able to show a direct result on campus.
 

Lucas McAdams

• Desired position: ASUO Vice President
• Major, year in school, age: Political science, junior, 21
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
LM: We have three focuses, and our major focus is making
the ASUO more accessible. So the fact that we are everyday students or outsiders or regular people, whatever you want to call it, is really important to us, and we’re going to stay true to that. Secondly, we are very focused on the environment, and we’re hoping to create more unity between the environmental groups on campus, hopefully in the form of some kind of umbrella organization. Thirdly, everything that we do will be done with financial transparency and responsibility.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
LM: I have had a lot of leadership opportunities in my life. I currently work on campus as a supervisor with Rec Sports. I read the newspaper a lot; I keep on tabs with campus events. I really have been working hard to understand the issues. So, my leadership qualities and my listening qualities in terms of conflict resolution.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
LM: The fee might be a little bloated, considering … the environment of the economy right now. But at the same time, it’s really hard to cut funding for programs once you’ve started it. So I wouldn’t look to make it smaller for that fact. But I do believe that there could be cost-cutting measures we could take into effect.
ODE: What do you see as the vice president’s role in the ASUO?
LM: It’s pretty much just to attend Senate meetings and help the ASUO president as you see fit. So Cassi and I really look at this as a partnership role where we can work together, but I think I’ll also have the opportunity to take some pet projects and see them through to the benefit of all students.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
LM: OSPIRG should return to campus. The money would have to be looked at.
 
Slate #2

Jairo Casteneda

• Desired position: ASUO President
• Major, year in school, age: Psychology and ethnic studies, fourth year, 21
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
JC: There are three things we will be looking at. The first one is community-building … Community to different groups, different individuals means different things … we want to see more leadership development through the ASUO. We want to have a place where students can go and say, “This is something I want to be working on; how can I do that?” … Secondly is safety … we want to increase APS and DDS services. Thirdly, sustainability.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
JC: I’m involved in a lot of different programs and organizations … Senate and with MEChA — I’m the recruitment and retention director …
ODE: How would you rate Richard Lariviere’s performance as president? What is his most important policy?
JC: I think Richard Lariviere is doing a really great job. I’ve had the opportunity to work with him during several different times during this whole year.
ODE: What is your stance on development on the Riverfront?
JC: I think definitely more input is needed. Getting students’ voices heard is really crucial … this is an opportunity to build a community … being able to get all these different opinions and thoughts into consideration and actually moving forward.
ODE: What is your take on the Pacifica Forum?
JC: I’ve liked the way administration has handled it. Removing the Pacifica Forum from the EMU was really important … hearing the students’ concerns and hearing the faculty and working to find the best solution is really important.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
JC: OSPIRG works on so many different campaigns and projects that not only affect students but also the general community … it’s really important to get them back on campus. Definitely restructuring the ACFC budget.
 

Alex Esparza

• Desired position: ASUO Vice President
• Major, year in school, age: Anthropology, graduate student, 25
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
AE: Our platform kind of consists of three points: community building … safety … and sustainability. That’s definitely crucial to us for sure — I mean, all of those points are.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
AE: I’ve been here at the University of Oregon for approximately a decade. Really only five of those years have I been a student as an undergraduate and then going into the graduate program, but just being here I’ve definitely come across different populations of students. I’ve been able to hear different student concerns. With the multiple different positions I hold throughout campus, it’s definitely given me a sense of the bottom-up organization that I think the University of Oregon should operate as. I am the co-director of the LGBTQA. I’m also co-chair of the Oregon Student Eco-Rights Alliance.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
AE: It offers crucial programs and services to students that I know speak directly to its purpose. A lot of the different programs and services that exist right now are used heavily by students. It’s a large fund, and it’s so large because of the different things that students are expected to pay for, which technically administration could be doing.
ODE: What do you see as the vice president’s role in the ASUO?
AE: The president and vice president would be working as a unified whole, working as a team. It wouldn’t be Jairo’s visions and aspirations dictated down with me just acting as a support role. We’d be supporting each other.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
AE: OSPIRG should return to campus. It’s a crucial program. It’s definitely one that’s not replicated by any other organizations throughout campus. They definitely should be funded. With renegotiations of the different things that are funded currently (through the ACFC), it would be possible to re-fund them in the future.
 
Slate #3

Amelie Rousseau

• Desired position: ASUO President
• Major, year in school, age: English and French, senior, 22
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
AR: My administration will prioritize three things: student autonomy, efficient use of student dollars, as well as student advocating for student collective interests. It’s really important that we as students have a say in every major decision the University makes. Students should be able to have a say in how their own money is controlled. I also think that students should have autonomy over their own education academically, which is why we want to start a civic engagement minor, which will allow students to create their own flexible, independent program in whatever they’re passionate about.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
AR: I think that I bring a wide range of leadership experiences from all over campus. For example, I’m an active member of the fraternity and sorority community. And I think the wide range of experience allows me to have personal knowledge and personal experience with what students care about and what they prioritize in their college experience.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
AR: I think the incidental fee is very important for allowing students to decide how and where and what services and programs we should have on campus. I think the incidental fee also provides services that students couldn’t be able to provide for themselves. I don’t think that it’s necessarily important to talk about how high or low the incidental fee is, but more how effectively and efficiently it’s used.
ODE: How would you rate Richard Lariviere’s performance as president? What is his most important policy?
AR: I think that when it comes to sustainability, he has made it very clear that he wants student involvement in every step of the process. I think for his first year, I think he’s doing a good job.
ODE: What is your stance on development on the Riverfront?
AR: I am very against the development on the Riverfront, not because I think that the research park is bad, but because I think that 200-parking-space parking lot is not acceptable for what the space along the river should be.
ODE: What is your take on the Pacifica Forum? What would you do in response to that group?
AR: I was definitely behind Emma’s decision to take a firm stance against the Pacifica Forum. Moving the group to the downtown location was a really good compromise. I wish it’d happened a lot sooner so that students didn’t have to get so upset and feel that their outcries weren’t being heard by either the student government or the administration.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If not, why not? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
AR: I think OSPIRG should return to campus. I’m not exactly sure where the budget would come from besides ACFC … I think that the money should come from the ACFC budget.
 

Maneesh Arora

• Desired position: ASUO Vice President
• Major, year in school, age: Undeclared, sophomore, 19
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
MA: Our administration will be prioritizing student autonomy, efficient use of student dollars and student advocacy. We need to keep decision makers accountable to student interests … to help students take advantage of the many opportunities they have to be civically engaged and get in touch with the democratic process.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
MA: I am currently managing the OSPIRG campaign to make textbooks more affordable. I also helped form the Climate Justice League, and this last term I coordinated a team to reach out to groups and unions about our bottled water campaign. I’ve been very active in the environmental movement on this campus.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
MA: It’s really important to spend the incidental fee efficiently … give students everything that they need and can’t get themselves as individuals.
ODE: What do you see as the vice president’s role in the ASUO?
MA: I think one of the biggest roles is just to represent the student body and represent the collective interests of students … to help all the different student groups … communicate better with each other and kind of make the ASUO a hub of communication so that students can … work together on similar interests.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
MA: OSPIRG should return to this campus. They provide a very important and unique service … that no other organization can provide. The budget for OSPIRG could be found in the ACFC
budget.
Slate #4

Alex McCafferty

• Desired position: ASUO President
• Major, year in school, age: Political science and history, junior, 21
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
AM: Our main points are responsible spending, enhancing athletic tickets and solving the transportation issue. What I want to do and what my candidates want to do is find that creative growth to enhance services and grow programs without increasing the cost to students.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
AM: I’ve been involved in the ASUO since before I moved in the dorms. I got here early, and I did a leadership course. I am one of the most veteran members in the organization. I have considerable budgetary experience.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
AM: The purpose for the incidental fee is different for every student. However, the size is too high. We can continue to support programs, but the i-fee does not need to grow.
ODE: How would you rate Richard Lariviere’s performance as president? What is his most important policy?
AM: I think Richard Lariviere has done an excellent job as president so far. I don’t have a particular favorite policy of his, but what I do like is that I see him around on campus a lot.
ODE: What is your stance on development on the Riverfront?
AM: The ASUO Senate passed a Riverfront resolution essentially asking for more student involvement in the process, and I fully support that. It’s an excellent property that’s close to campus that the University should use for the benefit of students. So I would look to engage more student voice in the process and make sure it’s in our best interest.
ODE: What is your take on the Pacifica Forum?
AM: I’m a member of Senate currently, and I sat through all the Pacifica Forum debates. Asking them to leave campus was the best way to solve it. I’m happy that the Senate passed that resolution, and I’m happy they have moved off campus.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
AM: In its current form I do not support OSPRIG returning to campus. Their organizational structure is not conducive to an ASUO contract. They don’t present any tangible services that are present on campus.
 

Alden Williams

• Desired position: ASUO Vice President
• Major, year in school, age: Family and human services, junior, 20
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
AW: The first item on the platform falls under spending (student fees) responsibly and creatively. We are also working on making the Lane Transit District contract as affordable as possible without cutting service. We’re looking at … opening up Autzen and Knight Arena parking spaces for students. We’re working on getting the Urban Farm on the incidental fee budget. We want to increase space for unions and programs in EMU and make it as green as possible when it expands. We’d like to have a Greek advocate on the Executive staff.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
AW: I’m very dedicated to running as a person with values; integrity, always looking for personal growth. I try to see all perspectives on an issue before I pick a side. Was vice president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, service for Shelter Care, Ride Able, other projects. Worked for Rural Development Initiatives.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
AW: The way that it takes money from each student to support necessary services is great. Right now it’s very high; when we’re spending it we don’t realize it is a privilege and we have to spend it responsibly. We’re not looking to necessarily cut it.
ODE: What do you see as the vice president’s role in the ASUO?
AW: I would be attending Senate meetings and working with students on a different level than the president is. I would like to hear people’s opinions and hear how they’re feeling on the way things are going.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
AW: OSPIRG has some incredible issues that they work on, and I really believe that they make some phenomenal changes in the country. But $117,000 going to OSPIRG with a structure that I don’t support isn’t something that I support. I think that we should care about those issues and divert a lot of our energies to other groups on campus that are doing a lot of great things.
 

Slate #5

Pete Lesiak

• Desired position: ASUO President
• Major, year in school, age: Human physiology, third year, 22
• Criminal activity charges: None

ODE: Briefly explain your platform.
PL: There’s a lot of nonsense that goes on there, a lot of spending, a lot of dead weight. Basically, I want to make that dead weight walk the plank. There’s a lot of stuff that needs some streamlining … to get to the booty, the gold, the treasure … in order to conserve our treasure we should probably get rid of some frivolous stuff.
ODE: What qualities and experience qualify you for the position you’re seeking?
PL: Well, I have been captain of my ship … I have a lot of leadership
experience directing the crew,
enforcing my tyrannical rule, stopping mutinies. You always have to appease the crew, and I feel that I’m a very fair captain. From there, there’s a lot that goes with running a ship and running an ASUO government.
ODE: What are your thoughts on the purpose and size of the student incidental fee?
PL: The incidental fee is there for the students and I feel the students only. The incidental fee should be shortened
so there’s more money in our
crew’s pockets.
ODE: How would you rate Richard Lariviere’s performance as president? What is his most important policy?
PL: So far I’ve seen Lariviere done a decent job mainly dealing with some of the nonsense that’s been going on … dealing with the outrage that a lot of students felt with the Pacifica Forum … in a very logical manner instead of willy-nilly with feelings and such.
ODE: What is your stance on development on the riverfront?
PL: A portion of it should remain pristine and beautiful … Of course we’re an ever-expanding city, so I feel like if you have the money … then go ahead.
ODE: What is your take on the Pacifica Forum?
PL: It’s really important that there should be more dialogue instead of trying to silence it, because then ideas get squashed.
ODE: Should OSPIRG return to campus? If so, where would the money to do so come from?
PL: < /strong>Absolutely not. With OSPIRG, basically, out of every student’s pocket is a $1.90. With $1.90 I can buy two cans of peas … in that way, two cans of peas  are greater than OSPIRG and actually do more on campus than OSPIRG.