University senior Stephen Murphy, a contributor to the Oregon Commentator, is neither the publication’s ASUO correspondent, nor a member of the ASUO Senate. However, he goes to the Senate’s weekly meetings and comments on senators’ speeches with hand-made signs intended to satirize the legislative process.
 
Murphy started following the ASUO with the Commentator during the 2010 ASUO elections and authored a write-up about the primary debate that year in the magazine.
He started coming to Senate this year at the recommendation of then-Commentator ASUO reporter Lyzi Diamond.
“I forget if (Diamond) said they were interesting, or what she called them, but she said it was good and she wanted more people, so I said, ‘Hey, I’ll show up,’” Murphy said. “The first few ones I showed up to … were kind of interesting, the commentary on CoverItLive was fairly cool, and it was at first neat … but then later on, I found new ways to enjoy Senate.”
Murphy enjoyed Senate by making Olympic-style rating cards for senators with his roommate Spencer Madison, a fellow Commentator contributor. As the weeks went on, Murphy and Madison started making more signs with pictures and sayings.
“The numbers were entertaining, but we realized that first off, it was kind of hard if somebody said something and we held up a 10. It was kind of ambiguous whether or not we agreed with what they were saying, or we just thought what they said or how they were saying it was particularly entertaining,” Murphy said.
“And we realized that it was clearer what we were saying — and also a lot more entertaining — to make very specific ones.”
Murphy is a math major and is on track to graduate this spring, but he said he isn’t worried about postcollege life. He said he would like to work in some sort of data-analysis position but doesn’t have an industry in mind.
“Failing that, I’m hoping to sell off the math major as a general ‘I’m really smart, please hire me’ degree,” Murphy said. “Right now, I’m just trying to see what will make me the most money, so I can become rich and famous some day.”
Murphy isn’t the only one with a vested interest in the dealings of the Senate.
University sophomore Travis Prinslow got connected to former ASUO presidential candidate Emma Kallaway’s victorious campaign through the Oregon Student Association, just after finishing his first term at the University. He got involved with Basic Rights Oregon after graduating from high school and later took an interest in politics and found OSA.
“I’ve always loved politics … I worked with (Basic Rights Oregon) on several campaigns during the ’90s and early 2000s,” Prinslow said. “I love campaigning.”
Prinslow doesn’t have an official title within the ASUO, nor does he cover it for any news organization, but follows it because of his love of politics and a desire to know where his money is going. He has attended most Senate meetings in the last couple years.
“I think it’s an excellent microcosm of what politics looks like later on in life. It’s just interesting to see how people treat the ASUO both from the outside and the inside,” Prinslow said. “You should care. It’s your money that we’re spending, or rather they’re spending, and if there’s something you want to see happen on campus, you should walk into the ASUO office and say ‘I have an idea.’”

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