The following is the opinion of the Emerald editorial board and not the organization as a whole. The editorial board is: Bayley Sandy, opinion editor; Sami Edge, editor-in-chief; Eder Campuzano, director of audience engagement; Nik Streng, managing editor.
The Emerald editorial board has decided to endorse Helena Schlegel as the ASUO’s next president.
Schlegel serves as the student representative on the University of Oregon Board of Trustees, works for Safe Ride, the Organization Against Sexual Assault and was an intern for United States Senator Jeff Merkley.
Her legislative work inside the ASUO and position on the Board of Trustees makes her the most qualified candidate to act as the voice of the UO student body. Schlegel has seen both parts of the process and understands the relationships between the ASUO, the student body and the administration.
Schlegel has expressed tangible goals, both during interviews with The Emerald and on her platform website. She wants to create a newsletter for students to clarify what the ASUO does. She also wants to create student liaison positions within the ASUO that would create a more effective line of communication between ASUO officers and the student body.
Additionally, when asked about her stance on proposals to scale back the growth of Fraternity and Sorority Life in the face of recent sexual assault surveys, Schlegel had the most reasoned approach. She didn’t yet have a position, but said that she would look over the recently formed Senate task force’s findings. That’s the sort of level-headed approach befitting of a leader.
Although both of the other candidates vying for the top seat have their merits, neither Miles Sisk nor Joaquin Ramos have presented tangible solutions to the problems facing ASUO and the student body at large.
That’s why The Emerald’s editorial board has elected to support Schlegel’s bid.
OSPIRG letter: No. This letter would allow OSPIRG to sign a letter on behalf of the University of Oregon’s student body with one message: Recommend that the university commit to increasing the amount of solar energy it harnesses as a total of its energy consumption from 0.02 percent to 10 percent by 2025. ASUO elections are notorious for low voter turnout. There’s no way we can send a letter to Salem as a message from the student body as a whole if that’s considered.
Program Directors: Yes. The Program Directors’ Council is currently charged with a monumental task: Rallying 160 students twice a term to explain how ASUO policies affect the student groups they represent. Cutting the number of mandatory meetings in half makes the job more feasible. And the fact that there can be consequences for neglecting to attend a required meeting? All the better.
Con Court: Yes. We believe that increasing the percentage of senators needed to depose a member of the Constitution Court is nothing but a good idea. Con Court is tasked with upholding the ASUO Constitution. Unpopular rulings are inevitable. And requiring a 75 percent majority to remove a member of that body gives anyone serving on it at least some sense of security.