Believe it or not, week one of spring term is upon us. The rain is falling, dollar beers is hopping and everyone is enjoying an easy first week of class. By now though, you’ve seen (and maybe done your best to ignore) what makes week one of spring term so special — the colorful but always entertaining ASUO election campaigns.
Yep, I am one of those people who is spending this week wearing an obnoxious highlighter-colored shirt, canvassing the campus while asking for your vote. Unlike the shirts of other campaigns, though, my shirt does not have the names of two candidates stamped across it. We Are Oregon is not a traditional ASUO election campaign. The We Are Oregon campaign is about the student voice and the student experience. Nick, myself and the entire We Are Oregon slate are involved with student government because we love the University of Oregon and feel like our diverse backgrounds, experiences and interests will bring tangible and needed change to our campus.
As your ASUO, we will increase the number of football tickets available to students, host a free concert featuring a major artist, increase funding to student programs and endorse a creative new solution to curb the rising cost of tuition.
You may be remembering claims to “lower tuition” from previous ASUO campaigns. For years, students have run on promises to lower tuition but rely on lobbyists in Salem to make it happen. The problem is that the state has no money and, despite the amount of funding the ASUO dumps into off-campus lobbyists, tuition has continued to increase.
We have a solution to stop these spikes in tuition and it is called the New Partnership. Ours is the only campaign which supports former President Lariviere’s new and creative solution to rising tuition. I recently spoke with Dr. Lariviere on the phone and he said that “the University’s future will be determined by the New Partnership. Student government’s role in engaging these issues for the University is as important now as it ever has been.” So beyond the increases in funding to student programs and on-campus events, I plan on working with the new administration to continue Lariviere’s legacy and find a tangible solution for the tuition spikes. If you want to see a positive change in our University, take the time to support We Are Oregon on DuckWeb today. @@http://uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/Richard*W*Lariviere@@
Enjoy week one and, if you’re of age, make it out to dollar beers tonight for a surprise.
As always, Go Ducks!
Laura Hinman
ASUO presidential candidate