Click here to visit the Emerald’s Campus Elections Homepage. Listen to candidate interviews and watch election video.
At-large candidates sit on student government committees without having a vote in the Student Senate. The winner of the Athletic Department Finance Committee at-large position will serve a one-year term, and the winner of the Programs Finance Committee at-large position will serve a two-year term. Members of the ADFC negotiate the number and cost of student tickets to men’s football and basketball games. Members of the PFC allocate money to student programs and ASUO contracts and departments.
Name: Zack Basaraba
Age: 20
Desired position: PFC At-large
Major: Sociology and philosophy
Hometown: Wilsonville, Ore.
Year in school: Sophomore
Criminal charges: None
Platform summary: Basaraba wants to reform the PFC system for greater accountability. He said it is not fair that programs compete with contracts. He said he supports departmentalization of the ethnic, women’s and gender studies programs and would like to see a queer studies minor.
Qualifications: Basaraba is currently a co-director of the Survival Center and is resource manager for the Multicultural Center.
Reasons for applying: Basaraba said he could serve without bias and work with his constituents.
Role of student government in local, state and federal politics: Basaraba said students should follow the laws. He added it was important for him to practice viewpoint neutrality, by not judging a program based on its content.
The most important factors of groups when it comes to determining their funding: Basaraba said a program’s education output or value should determine its funding.
Changes, if any, to stipends: Basaraba said he believed last year’s reform sent stipends through Oregon Hall and the students who are counting on that money for their positions don’t see paychecks in time. He also said he believes that fiscal responsibility with stipends in programs are a necessity.
Should the Student Senate have a role in international politics: Of course, Basaraba said. Students are people, but they should have no more say than any other person, he said.
Editor’s note: Stipends go from the EMU Business Office to Oregon Hall for payment. The Emerald has no evidence that students holding stipend positions are dissatisfied with the time it takes to be compensated. The 2005-06 reform increased stipend pay levels for student leaders and decreased the number of programs that qualified. It also standardized how the PFC determines which groups qualify for stipend positions.
Name: Jacob Brennan
Age: 20
Desired position: PFC At-large
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Beaverton
Year in school: Junior
Criminal charges: None
Platform summary: Brennan supports fiscal responsibility and accountability, funding equality and structural reform to increase PFC transparency. He supports splitting contracts from programs. He said it is not fair for small student programs to have to compete with the student recreation center.
Qualifications: Brennan said he has experience with budgets from working on Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s campaign in finance and fundraising.
Reasons for applying: Brenna said there is no greater honor than being a public servant.
Role of student government in city, state and federal politics: Brennan said the ASUO should fix local problems before focusing on greater issues.
The most important factors of groups when it comes to determining their funding: Brennan believes a group’s contribution to campus and student life should determine funding, which he said should be proportional to the size of the program.
Changes, if any, to stipends: Brennan said he would promote the idea of consistency within the system.
Student Senate role in international politics: Brennan said the Senate should focus on local issues first because there are critical issues to resolve here.