Oregon Daily Emerald: What’s your year and major?
Adam Turcott: I’m a freshman currently, political science major.
Emerald: Are you involved in any activities or group on campus?
Turcott: Currently, I’m the Residence Hall Association finance chairman.
Emerald: Why are you interested in student government?
Turcott: Well, I’ve always been interested in student government and government as a whole. I was involved in high school as well as here, through the RHA. I hope to continue my service to students through ASUO senate.
Emerald: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Turcott: Well, I think fiscally, we need to keep college costs affordable for students, while maintaining the programs that we already have, and possibly adding some more diverse programs to the University.
Emerald: So when a group approaches the senate to try to get some surplus money for an event or whatever they’re doing, are there any standards that you’ll hold them up to?
Turcott: Well, they’d have to offer a diverse forum for the students, and it would have to, I believe, affect the most students possible for the money that the senate gives them.
Emerald: Would there be any political motives for your decision?
Turcott: Whatever helps the student body is the best for the senate to do.
Emerald: How do you plan to interact with student groups?
Turcott: Student groups? Well, of course the senators hold office hours, and they can come to me. I was thinking of having some kind of a newsletter to go out once a month to keep people informed about what I was doing. There’s really not, I don’t believe, not that many student groups, so keeping them informed and involved I think would be a simple task.
Emerald: By a newsletter?
Turcott: A newsletter, or go to student groups once a month in person.
Emerald: You plan to go to student group events?
Turcott: Yeah.
Emerald: What are the most important issues facing students you represent?
Turcott: The most important issues, I believe — I think the University needs to attract more speakers, more diverse big-name speaks to come and encourage the students and, I don’t know, maybe let the students open their ears and hear what they have to say, from all different parts of the political spectrum, as well as literary speakers.
Emerald: Do you think that’s a concern that they have though, that there’s not enough speakers?
Turcott: Yeah, I’ve heard it from all students.
Emerald: Any specific kinds of speakers that are lacking here at the University?
Turcott: Well, I don’t think we get many big-name speakers that students are willing to go to, or go out of their way to go to the speakers, because when speakers come they’re small time. Of course we do have good speakers that come to the speakers, but I think the University should encourage more.
Emerald: Any other important issues you see facing the students?
Turcott: We need to maintain the learning atmosphere, the academic atmosphere as well as we can with the budget problems we face.
Emerald: What kind of problems do you think that academics is facing due to the budget problems?
Turcott: Well, the cutbacks on staff.
Emerald: Do you have any ideas on how that might be remedied?
Turcott: I think smarter fiscal spending.
Emerald: Is that something that the student senate would have a say in?
Turcott: I believe it is.
Emerald: How would they do that?
Turcott: Continue lobbying.
Emerald: At the state level?
Turcott: Yeah.
Emerald: What’s the most important part of Section 5 of the Student Senate Rules and why?
Turcott: Section 5 is the — remind me again.
Emerald: Duties.
Turcott: Oh the duties. The important part of Section 5 I believe is to bring the opinions of the students I represent to the floor of the senate.
Emerald: Bring the opinions to the floor of the senate. Anything else?
Turcott: Well, beside representing their views to, again, bring diversity to the campus and encourage the academic environment.
Emerald: Bring diversity in the form of speakers?
Turcott: Speakers, as well as new ideas. I think we can get, in 2004 for the next presidential election, I think we can get the rock-the-vote out here, which is a giant program that would, I think, open our eyes a lot.
Emerald: You’re going to try to do that?
Turcott: Yeah, rock the vote.
Emerald: Anything you’d like to add?
Turcott: I just have a few remarks. I’m not an ASUO insider, so I feel that the fact is, I’m not an ASUO insider and because of this I can provide a distinctly refreshing view to the ASUO.
Emerald: What do you mean by “ASUO insider?”
Turcott: Well I’ve noticed that the ASUO basically has members in it that — basically all the members know each other and they pretty much have the insider thing going on and I think I can bring into it an outsider’s view.
Emerald: Because you don’t know the people?
Turcott: I haven’t been involved in it before, so I think I can bring a refreshing view.