Editorial gave false impression of USSA trip
This letter is in response to a recent editorial (“Student Senate could be new reality TV show,” ODE, April 14), which claimed that the United States Student Association’s trip to Washington D.C. was a waste of money, and that the “chance of USSA students bringing meaningful, tangible benefits to the University (is) 1 percent.” In this situation, the Editorial Board is simply wrong.
Firstly, this column gives a false impression to readers by failing to fully explain the USSA’s conference. This editorial makes it appear that Melton and the others were treated to a five-star vacation. Absolutely not. In reality, this seminar included workshops on becoming allies to different communities, and concrete promises were received from members of Congress for funding higher education. By giving readers an incomplete story, the Editorial Board showed its lack of support for alliances towards minority students, and are uninformed about the pledges of congressional representatives.
Furthermore, in this same editorial, the editors once more failed to properly analyze a delicate situation with the issue of ASUO Vice President Eddy Morales’
assertion of racial discrimination during a Senate meeting. According to this editorial, because Morales’ claim was not necessarily agreed on by all Senate members, in the future he “should just keep his mouth shut.” Although I am not a racial minority, I can only hope that all people would choose to voice an issue of possible discrimination, especially if related to my actions, instead of “keeping their mouths shut” in order to avoid disturbing a member of the ODE editorial board.

Ailee Slater

freshman

English