The Programs Finance Committee has five elected seats up for grabs, and six students are running for the ASUO Student Senate Seat 2 position. Seat 2 senators must participate both in the weekly ASUO Student Senate meetings and the annual PFC process.
The Emerald asked each candidate four general questions and also asked two specific questions about student government: What standing committees is the senate is obligated to have (answer: the Rules Committee, the Finance Committee, the Committee on Committees, the Personnel Committee and the Summer Committee), and what is the most important part of Senate Rules Section 5, which lists senators’ duties?
Greg Diamond, a junior political science major, is an active member of the College Democrats and has been a freelance writer for the Oregon Commentator. He said the most important issue facing students he would be representing are decreases in financial aid along with increases in tuition. Diamond did not know how many standing committees the senate requires and couldn’t name any senate duties.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Diamond: My biggest spending priority actually would just be getting people back. Having been overseas, I’ve seen what campus life is like in other countries, and it’s a little more vibrant. Like at the University of Heidelberg (Germany), they have just tons of cultural activities day in and day out, every week of the term, and their terms are 20 weeks long. So any group that came forward with a proposal to throw some sort of event that would bring people back here and kind of create more of a campus community would get a priority from me.
Q: What is the most important thing you should know in order to deal with the budget process?
Diamond: A good knowledge of arithmetic would help. I remember there was an incident last year with some basically numerical errors at one point in the budget process, and that sort of thing should just be assiduously avoided. There’s no need for anything like that. Obviously, it’s not that hard to go over numbers and make sure that everything adds up.
Joseph Jenkins, a second-year law student focusing on environmental and natural resource law, is an officer in Phi Alpha Delta and a member of the Pro Bono Committee. Jenkins is also the University’s American Bar Association law student representative. He feels the most important issue facing students he would be representing are costly and unnecessary regulations on events. Jenkins did not know how many standing committees the senate requires and misidentified the senate duties as Senate Rules Section 6. He said the most important duty is showing up to meetings.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Jenkins: Well, for one thing, do you have to spend the surplus? You could use it for something larger — a concert or improvements to the school or something like that. One thing that you’ll want to do is definitely talk to organizations to hear what they have going on. If you save the surplus, save for it for a reason, but don’t save it if there’s organizations that can use it to put on a function or what-not for the school.
Q: What is the most important thing you should know in order to deal with the budget process?
Jenkins: Well, you need to know how much money you have and what your limits are. That way you can focus on that and be able to see ahead and be able to plan the best. I was in the student government when I was an undergrad, and our budget was just so haphazardly done because the administration wouldn’t tell us exactly how much it was, and so it’s definitely a problem when you can’t put down a solid plan.
Faryl Kagan refused an interview with the Emerald; he said some of its editors have “serious issues with misconstruing information.”
Mike Martell, a sophomore pre-business major, is the incumbent. Martell also sits on the ASUO Child Care Task Force. He said higher education funding is the most important issue facing students, adding that the student senate should get more involved with the issue. Martell identified two of the five standing committees required by the senate and said the most important duty as a senator is fulfilling office hours.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Martell: I don’t think anybody really knows how to spend it exactly. It’s kind of on a what-comes-up basis: special circumstances, emergencies, when something breaks. There’s a new insurance policy where the deductible’s gone up from $500 to $2,500, so if a large piece of equipment breaks, that’s what the surplus is used for. Then just other new activities that haven’t been budgeted that add to the cultural and physical development of campus. (To receive surplus) funds, (student groups) need to be relatively fiscally responsible. They have to have what they need budgeted with line-item descriptions and be prepared.
Q: What is the most important thing you should know in order to deal with the budget process?
Martell: When you’re starting the PFC process, just knowing that it’s a huge time commitment. And you have to be very dedicated if you want to get through, because the groups are dedicated, and if you’re not dedicated you’re doing a disservice to these groups. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time.
Kevin Odil, a freshman history major, is not involved with any groups on campus. Odil said the most important issues facing students are the incidental fee budget and the rising cost of tuition. Odil did not know how many standing committees the senate requires and couldn’t name any specific senate duties.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Odil: Well, we have a huge amount of money right now. Next year, they’re going to add the amount of students that are coming here, and so there’s no real reason why we should add more to the budget. I mean, each student does not need to pay more in incidental fees, and this year it went up like 12 percent. With more students and more money — the economy is strapped, people don’t have the money to pay on more incidental fees. Next year, I heard tuition is probably going to go up. I mean, people don’t have the money to spend on more incidental fees.
Q: What is the most important thing you should know in order to deal with the budget process?
Odil: Well you have to — I mean, there’s a lot of rules, there’s a whole packet of how you (deal with) the budget. You have to go over and look at previous budgets — pay increases, things of that nature — to make sure that the budget falls in line with the rules and the needs of the group. I mean, because costs go up, and that’s the thing that everyone knows. Sometimes you have to spend more on the same thing that you got last time.
Mena Ravassipour, a sophomore general science major, currently holds senate Seat 11. She is involved in several committees, including the Faculty Personnel committee and the University Executive committee. Ravassipour said students have individual concerns, but particularly want equal rights and a fair PFC process. Ravassipour identified four of the five standing committees required by the senate and said going to meetings, attending office hours and having a presence around groups were among the most important senate duties.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Ravassipour: Well, I don’t think it lays on one individual person. I think it’s definitely a group process. I think PFC did a pretty good job this year, and (when I attended PFC meetings), I thought it was really amazing, and hence I’m running for PFC. I think it would be an amazing process to get involved with, and I think it’s important to be responsible when allocating student funds.
Q: What is the most important thing you should know in order to deal with the budget process?
Ravassipour: Well, I think that there’s many things that you should know, but the thing that you should remember is that there’s opportunities out there, and you have to be aware
that there’s opportunities. And so it’s not all about numbers. You have to be aware that there’s opportunities for groups to grow. I think the most important thing is you need to remember that we’re out there to create better groups so more students can get involved and so people can feel like this is a community.
- Joseph Jenkin Interview
- Mike Martell Interview
- Kevin Odil Interview
- Mena Ravassipour Interview
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