Oregon Daily Emerald: Could you tell me your name, what year you are in school, and what your major is?
Sherman: My name is Michael Sherman. This is my second year at the University, so I’d be a sophomore, but I have senior status credit-wise. And my majors are political science, economics and business.
Emerald: Why are you running for ASUO office?
Sherman: I’m currently a PFC senator, as you know, and I think it’s important to represent the interests of students. A lot of students aren’t interested in student government, they don’t even know it really exists, but there are a lot of issues today that students need to be dealing with, such as the budget cuts happening in Salem. There really needs to be an open dialogue between students and the administration of the University in looking at budgets and places where it’s going to be cut, and that actually falls upon the ASUO and it’s pretty much why I want to be involved in the ASUO. And also just to see funding for groups, PFC groups, EMU, ADFC, to make sure that process is efficient, the process is fair, and so that we can have really great programming on this campus and students really do get the most for their student incidental fee.
Emerald: How would you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Sherman: The question is if there will be any surplus next year from senate. If there is surplus from senate next year, I think there are, the term special request to me implies something that, well first, it’s something that you can’t budget for. It’s an opportunity that you have, that otherwise you would never have and you couldn’t bring this opportunity to campus without further funding. I think when looking at special requests and spending from surplus you have to look at the fundraising that the group has done to pursue this opportunity and what have you, if this opportunity really will benefit a large a majority of campus and a lot of students as well. It’s really an individual basis when looking at spending surplus.
Emerald: How would you interact with student groups?
Sherman: I think, first, primarily as a student attending the events that they put on, I mean, I thoroughly enjoy going to the different events that the student groups do put on. I think they’re well thought out and well-prepared and culturally enhancing. Furthermore, just being on PFC, you have to work with groups. I was on PFC this year and I think one of the strengths that PFC has had this year, a lot of groups have seen the process as being fair, we were professional, and I think that comes from the fact that we worked so well with groups. We really tried to meet with them, to explain the situation to them, to really understand what their programming meant for them and how their budget works as well.
Emerald: What are the most important issues facing the students you’d represent?
Sherman: Well, I think every year, regardless of whatever year, one of the most pressing issues for a PFC senator or in general for PFC is just allocating the PFC’s money efficiently and in a fair manner, ensuring that it is being spent in a fiscally responsible manner. Without that, I mean, that’s the whole point of the PFC process. Other important issues that students are going to be facing and senators currently are working on, including myself, working really with the administration and looking at the fees that are being imposed on students, the tuition increases, and what is happening. The administration is proposing where cuts are going to be taking place as the budget is becoming tighter and tighter. I think every day something new comes out that we can’t have funding for this. I think it’s a continuing process with the administration in finding a solution to the lack of funding and where things are going to be cut and what do students really want and what do students really need.
Emerald: What is the most important thing you should know in order to deal with the budget process?
Sherman: I don’t think there’s really one important thing. I think there’s an entire process that needs to be understood. And that process includes one first, the rules that govern that process, which would be the PFC bylaws, Constitution of the ASUO, and then just general senate rules. I really think it’s important for senators and all student leaders to know those rules, which I know some people don’t, which I can’t speak for them. I do know the rules fairly well and I think the whole process of PFC what’s so hard for new students coming into it is that they don’t understand how it works they don’t understand where the groups are coming from, how the precedents should be used in allocating those fees. It’s really just an understanding of the whole process — you can’t pin it down on one most important thing.
Emerald: What two ways can the senate call a special meeting?
Sherman: I believe the senate president can call a special meeting, but notification has to go to all student senators, and the media I believe, within a certain amount of hours. This is all, I’m pretty sure stated in our rules, as well as Oregon Public Meeting Laws. As far as the other option, I mean, why are you asking this question?
Emerald: It’s a question that we ask every single person who is running for ASUO office. It’s actually not the same question, it varies for different senate seats, but it’s just a question to check and make sure candidates have reviewed the student senate rules.
Sherman: Well, so here’s the problem with that, is there are a lot of rules, and when reviewing rules you don’t have to memorize all of them, you just have to know that I want to call a special meeting, what do I do, I know there’s a rule about that, I go look at senate rules. I know just recently the senate president called a special meeting, I’m not sure as to the other option, I would assume it would be a certain number of the sitting senate members can call the meeting. I know for PFC as well, the chair can call a meeting, or four members of PFC can also call a special meeting. I mean, I believe those are the options that they do have.
Emerald: What’s the most important part of section five of the student senate rules, and why?
Sherman: Section five — that would be duties right? Well, first I say that the senate this year is currently in the process of rewriting the majority of senate rules. The most important section of duties, see, I really don’t like these most important things. Well, in general, I think every part is actually important, I mean, holding your office hours when you’re supposed to, between what times, and how many office hours you’re supposed to hold, what committees you’re supposed to sit on or how the types of committees you’re supposed to serve on, the meetings you’re supposed to go to. But other than that, I don’t think there is one rule that is more important than any other rule.