We went to the ASUO meeting this week. Here’s the recap!
The senate accepted the funding requests for three student organizations for various events:
- Public Relations Student Society of America: PRSSA requested a minimum $90 for an upcoming public relations conference to cover hotel expenditures. The request was approved unanimously.
- Phi Alpha Delta: PAD requested $691 dollars for traveling expenditures and social events for new members. The request was granted unanimously.
- International Student Association: ISA requested $2,419 for the funding of a basketball tournament. All student organizations will be able to participate. According to the group’s application for funding, the goal of the tournament is to, “bridge the gap between all nationalities. By having this event and inviting different cultural student groups to participate, we would be able to unite on the basketball court and share our vision and mission with them, which is to raise awareness about diversities and to celebrate the differences.” The funding request was unanimously approved. The event, Ducks2K16, will be held on the Rec Uptown Courts Nov. 5 at 10 a.m.
A discussion on the use of the under-realized funds was tabled for a week to provide more time for account information.
During Officer Updates, Internal Vice President Zach Lusby informed the senators of discussions about a bus that would bring students from campus to Portland for the Board of Trustees meeting on December 1.
The rest of the meeting was business as usual except for the resolution to defund parts of the Murdoch Trust.
The resolution to defund parts of the Murdoch Trust was met with contentious debate with senators divided on the topic. Members of the Northwest Accountability Project have been trying to defund parts of the Trust.
The Murdoch Trust funds organizations such as OPB but also groups such as the Freedom Foundation which have been deemed, by the Northwest Accountability Project to be “hate groups.” Senators were unsure whether defunding the Trust would violate its rights to freedom of expression. Internal Vice President Lusby suggested tabling the discussion for 2 weeks to give Northwest Accountability Project and other senators time to gather more information on the subject.
ASUO meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in EMU Miller Room.