ASUO President-elect Adam Petkun and Vice President-elect Mena Ravassipour will take office May 25. Petkun, a junior political science major, sat down with the Emerald for Quick Quacks — a short question-and-answer session aimed at giving readers an expedient look at campus and community members’ thoughts.
Emerald: Why ASUO President?
Adam Petkun: Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a lot of things that I think could be better and a lot of things I would really like to get involved in, and I wanted to make an impact.
Emerald: What three words best describe your plans as ASUO president?
Adam Petkun: Communication, vision and action.
Emerald: If you had one hour of free time per day, how would you spend it?
Adam Petkun: I would probably spend it playing — next year it will be NCAA Football 2005 — and right now it’s NCAA Football 2004.
Emerald: First stop at the ASUO Street Faire?
Adam Petkun: For me, it’s definitely — I forget the official title — but it’s the barbecue king. That’s my favorite one.
Emerald: Last movie you saw?
Adam Petkun: Actually, I’m kind of embarrassed to say this, but last weekend I actually decided to indulge and watch “Bad Boys II,” which I was pleasantly surprised with.
Emerald: Who is your favorite elected official and why?
Adam Petkun: I’m a really big fan of (Oregon State Sen.) Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, just because he works really well with students, and he really listens and he’s really helpful, too. And kind of like a mentor as well.
Emerald: First impression of the University and how has it changed?
Adam Petkun: My first impression was that there wouldn’t be very much for me here and that I was going to become bored here, but I’ve learned that there’s so many different things that I can be involved with and that would also be stimulating academically.
Emerald: Who would win in a fight: Mandrake or Donald?
Adam Petkun: I think Donald would have to win. I think Mandrake’s costume is outrageous and I think that it’s really slick so I think he would probably fall at some point and then Donald would win.
Emerald: One building in Eugene you would have demolished if possible?
Adam Petkun: I would like to see improvements made to PLC. I’m not going to lobby for it, but PLC is not my favorite building on campus. I do enjoy — I really like the name though. Prince Lucien Campbell is a fantastic name.
Emerald: What was the best thing that happened to you this weekend?
Adam Petkun: The best thing that happened to me was that my expectations for “Bad Boys II” were surpassed. I was expecting absolutely nothing, and I actually enjoyed the movie.
Emerald: You were just given a yacht. What would you name it?
Adam Petkun: I would just name it the S.S.A.P. because my nickname is A.P. and it would be kind of weird to have a yacht named the S.S.A.P. because people would think it is an acronym, but it’s not.
Emerald: What is your concept of a fruitful day?
Adam Petkun: For me, the concept of a fruitful day is waking up on time, which I’m getting pretty good at, attending all my classes, and then getting work done, not just sitting in front of a computer and thinking about all the things I need to do, but actually getting things checked off the list.
Emerald: What is the best reason to vote in an ASUO or other election?
Adam Petkun: I think the best reason to vote in any election is because there are so many things that affect you, whether it be in the ASUO election — something like housing standards for Eugene — really the housing standards is a actually good example because it pervades every single level of office … Citywide offices are really important right now for working toward housing standards for Eugene. There are so many things that are important to us, be it economically or socially or just in terms of our safety.
Emerald: What happens after graduation?
Adam Petkun: After graduation I take a breath, and then hopefully I will relax for the summer and then maybe head off for law school, but we’ll see how the next year pans out.
Emerald: Finally, where can we find Adam Petkun on a Friday night?
Adam Petkun: I don’t know. I do a lot of different things. I think often you will find me behind my laptop reading newspapers — trying to catch up on the news I missed during the week — but, at the same time, sometimes, every once in a while, you will find me at Max’s or you’ll just find me out, walking around town, maybe smoking a cigar.