As a theater arts major planning to graduate this spring, Evan Thomas represents the second “social sciences” constituency in the ASUO Senate.
His views on student incidental fee use and importance of the ASUO in issue campaigns have recently separated him from senators with whom he ran last year who were part of the Reality Check slate.
The Emerald caught up with him to discuss his views that have separated him from his colleagues.
ODE: What do you think about (Sen. Jeremy) Blanchard’s departure and his time in the senate?
Evan Thomas: Blanchard and I don’t quite see eye-to-eye on the issues we prioritize, but Blanchard is just an absolutely stand-up guy. He doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body. He’ll certainly get passionate about things, but he won’t let that passion skew his view of anyone else who may have an opposing passion. I think he’s going to do great in whatever he gets involved with in his adult life.
ODE: Last year, when (the Reality Check) campaign was formed, what was kind of the guiding vision? Because for you and (others on the slate), there definitely seems to be a strain of conservatism, but also a lot of differing ideals.
ET: I think that was kind of the point of Reality Check. I think Reality Check was kind of labeled as the conservative ticket because of the people that were in the lead positions that were running. It’s true there are some super-conservatives that were a part of Reality Check … I think the biggest thing about Reality Check is that we had a lot of people that were willing to put the work in.
ODE: It’s hard to say “if we become a smoke-free campus,” because it’s becoming a lot closer to “when we do”, but if that does happen in the next couple years, how do you see that affecting students?
ET: Awfully. One of the things that no one’s really brought up yet is that smoking culture is completely different in other countries, and we have a huge international program at this University, especially from eastern Asia, where smoking has a totally different cultural impact. It’s not viewed as this terrible corporation sucking beast. It’s just part of their society. I don’t see what the benefit of banning something is when it could just as well be moderated.
ODE: OSPIRG has become a dirty word on campus to a portion of the population. Do you think that the perception matches the reality?
ET: It’s funny because I could ask what the reality is and get a million different responses. The perceptions that people have told me about … honestly, most of the campus really doesn’t have any idea what OSPIRG is. And they either get their really negative opinions from the people who are really against OSPIRG or they’re really positive opinions from people who work for OSPIRG. I think the most intellectual thing said about OSPIRG on campus has to do with the measure that was on the ballot last year. If you’re asking me, if 50 percent of campus doesn’t agree with something, I’m not going to implement it. If 49 percent of campus doesn’t agree with something, I’m not going to implement it. That’s a big enough proportion in my mind that we’re taking money from other people that aren’t utilizing it.
ODE: There is a big issue as to whether the ASUO should keep the Lane Transit District contract on the incidental fee or not. What do you think about that?
ET: Here’s where you’re going to see the Republican come out. I am totally in favor of letting the free market take over more with the LTD. If a big enough percentage of campus doesn’t use something or doesn’t want something, I don’t want to fund it or fund it as completely as it’s been funded. I don’t think it should be removed and given to the administration. I think we’re fully capable of negotiating it on our own, but I do think there are very, very tangible and achievable ways to significantly lower how much we pay LTD. If students spent only $30 for their term-long pass, which is only $15 more than they’re paying right now, the UO ACFC contract would save like 40 percent, and there’s a good chance the LTD would make more money, because they would have the free market on their side.
ODE: What would be your advice as an outgoing senior to the incoming freshman of college?
ET: I’m going to target, I feel like everyone always targets the people that are slackers … I’m going to target the people who are overachievers, and say my advice for the first year of college is to make some mistakes. Because the mistakes that you make will help you figure out who you are as a human being more than any of the successes. I think college is the time you make mistakes, you’re going to have that term where your GPA just isn’t where you want it to be … the things that I learned from my peers and from the human interactions of college are equal to the academic things I learned in college. I hope people don’t forget that.
[email protected]