In this term alone, I have seen so much close-mindedness from the ASUO at large that I do not know how they justify it. I have seen agendas pushed with no regard to student objections, an election won despite numerous grievances filed against the winning party (that were not addressed until the last day of campaigning) and recently ASUO members complaining of a hostile, oppressive workplace.
I have attended quite a few ASUO Senate meetings this year, and I have seen bickering over trivial details of requests — half an hour spent arguing over $200 out of a $1,000 request when an $8,000 request is approved easily in five minutes — and minority viewpoints shouted down. I have seen senators walk out of meetings, spend half the meeting on Facebook completely oblivious to proceedings and startled when their name is called for a vote; I have also seen many senators just plain not show up to meetings. Rule 5.3 (a) under “Rules of the Student Senate” in the Green Tape Notebook specifies that missing two meetings in a single term makes a senator culpable of nonfulfillment. By those standards, I am fairly certain roughly half of the Senate is guilty. @@pages.uoregon.edu/asuoelec/Green_Tape_Notebook_0809.pdf@@
For what is supposedly one of the most liberal, progressive, free-thinking and happy-go-lucky campus cultures in the United States and host to the famous Eugene ideals of tolerance, smiles and friendship, we sure seem to have an oppressive and close-minded student government. The OSPIRG issue saw our student body president say she would veto any budget that did not include funding for OSPIRG as well as create a mix of apathy and hostility within the ASUO toward anybody who disagreed. Look through a few back issues of the Emerald from the past week; there are a few articles on student government members who do not feel welcome within their own offices because of their peers. Someone implied that anybody who disagrees with our ASUO president should resign; is this the sort of atmosphere we want to promote here? Do we want everyone to mindlessly agree with our leader, or are we supposed to be intelligent, free thinkers who develop our own opinions? Isn’t that the point of education?
I see a culture now where instead of persecuting minorities, we ostracize those who would malign others based on their race, religion, sexuality, or gender identity; this is a good thing. I also see a culture where the student government that is supposed to represent all students on campus actively suppresses differing opinions and tries to force conformity to a single point of view. How is that a good thing? I would expect on a college campus that there would be reasoned debate, careful consideration of alternatives and respectful disagreement to those with different ideas. Instead, I see a group of adults acting like spoiled children, whining until they get their way and acting reprehensibly towards those who do not agree with them.
I just want to have confidence that my student government makes their decisions for good reasons and that they carefully consider all options and make informed decisions. We learn about how we should fight against the status quo, but how is mindlessly throwing student dollars at events because “we need more diversity!” without considering the impact of those decisions any better? Instead, the ASUO just sort of decides how things “should be” and mindlessly plows on ahead, trampling anyone who objects.
Stephen Murphy
Oregon Commentator writer