It will be a few weeks before Sam Dotters-Katz takes office as the next ASUO president. In the meantime, he and vice president-elect Johnny Delashaw have been preparing for their term in office, starting with the hiring last Friday of current Senate President Athan Papailiou as their chief of staff.
Papailiou has been a senator for three years and ran for ASUO vice president last year. Dotters-Katz said Papailiou served as an adviser during the campaign after they were introduced by former Sen. Jacob Daniels.
Daniels, who has graduated from the University, confirmed that he found a Facebook group for Dotters-Katz’ campaign and told him that he knew someone who could help him better understand the ASUO.
“It didn’t seem like his prospects were the best,” Daniels said, “he needed some of that insider status type thing.”
Dotters-Katz said he and Papailiou met at the Marché Cafe to discuss Papailiou’s possible support.
“He had never heard of us. We didn’t even know who Emily McLain was before we decided to run,” Dotters-Katz said. “He said to me, if you can convince me in six minutes how and why you could win this election, then I will help you out.”
Papailiou said he offered his support because “there’s a high learning curve in student government. I was able to help fill that gap with my experience as a candidate and as a student senator.”
“I felt compelled to support candidates that would protect student control of the incidental fee, that would represent the entire student body, that would end the insider corruption that has controlled Suite 4 for some years now,” Papailiou said, referring to the ASUO office.
Already, Papailiou’s influence is visible in some of next executive’s plans. Dotters-Katz said he wants to end the requirement that students programs purchase all catered food through University Catering, which has been a popular issue among programs and one Papailiou has addressed in past Senate meetings.
Dotters-Katz is also talking about reforming the committee that recognizes new student programs to shorten the process that makes them eligible for student government funds, which Papailiou has long advocated.
Dotters-Katz is also planning to overhaul the ASUO Constitution Court.
“Athan and I are going to be working extensively this summer to rewrite the books on Con Court and the elections board,” Dotters-Katz said. Changes to the court could only happen via a ballot measure voted on by the student body. Dotters-Katz also plans to make the elections board an independent body that is not part of the executive staff.
While no proposal has been finalized, Dotters-Katz said he would like to require the court to hear oral arguments on major grievances, disclose how each justice voted and be disallowed from changing its own rules.
“I feel like Con Court is something like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain. They have all this power but no one really knows who they are or what kind of reason is behind their rulings,” Dotters-Katz said.
Papailiou said he would like to prevent the court from changing its own rules and bylaws, similar to the federal government, where Congress sets the rules. He also wants to enforce stricter timelines for decisions.
“The court turnaround time is very unpredictable,” Papailiou said. “It’s difficult to govern when we don’t hear back from the court for undetermined amounts of time.”
Currently the court has on its docket a grievance against President Emily McLain that was filed April 5. The court’s rules say it must “endeavor” to rule within 10 days, but there is no telling when a decision will be made.
“We want to prevent ghost grievances,” Papailiou said, referring to grievances such as one currently before the court which was filed by a student McLain has never met.
Senate Vice President Patrick Boye said changing the way the court operates could be difficult because the court itself has to approve the changes. In this case, the court would have to approve the language of the ballot measure before students could vote on it.
However, Boye said that if valid arguments are made it would be hard for the court to reject the changes. The court is supposed to decide if the language of the measure is biased or if the provisions are unconstitutional.
Dotters-Katz is also currently making a proposal to the Senate’s overrealized committee to keep Knight Library open 24 hours a day for five days each week during the 2008-09 academic year.
The proposal would keep the library open from 11 a.m. Sunday through 7 p.m. Friday. Dotters-Katz is asking for $53,000 in overrealized funds for the library to keep extended hours for one year. The proposal states that a full year trial is necessary to accurately measure student interest in the service. The money is earmarked to pay a private security firm for additional security and custodial services.
“I think it’s in the student body’s interest,” Boye said, “to have Knight Library open longer hours. I don’t think it should necessarily be on the burden of students to pay for it.” He said he would rather have the University pay for the extended hours, rather than overrealized funds, which come from student incidental fees. Boye said it may take “a push from students” to convince the administration to provide longer hours.
Dotters-Katz pointed out that the money in the overrealized fund has already been paid by students. “It’s not a new charge,” he said.
The library proposal does not mention any operating expenses such as utilities or any employees who would need to remain in the building overnight. Papailiou said he believes the library already keeps lights and the air ventilation system operating overnight.
As for Delashaw, he is working on an issue important to him after breaking his hip in a snowboarding accident last year.
“It can be difficult for students with mobility issues to get around to all of the things this campus has to offer,” Delashaw said. His accident on Mount Bachelor left him in a wheelchair and then walking with the aid of crutches and now a cane. He said it was difficult to go to a basketball game in McArthur Court, and buildings such as Deady Hall are inaccessible.
Dotters-Katz and Delashaw are going to have their non-traditional student advocate document buildings with accessibility issues and present them to the administration.
“It’s just another thing we’re doing to represent the entire student body,” Delashaw said.
[email protected]