Five ASUO senators have resigned since the 2009-2010 Senate began in June, vacating a quarter of the body’s twenty seats. Two resignations — those of finance senator Jessica Jones and academic senator Ryan Lassi — occurred in the past two school days. In the fourth week of fall term more senators have resigned from this Senate than in all of 2008-2009, when four senators resigned starting in winter term.
So far there are far more questions than answers: What can stop the bleeding? Is this only the beginning of a trend, or a filtering process by which the uncommitted are eliminated early? And what, if anything, does it say about the way previously uninvolved students adjust to the culture and demands of student government?
To be sure, not all resignations are equal. Lidiana Soto resigned in the second year of her term after losing a bid for the ASUO vice presidency. She cited as reasons other time commitments and a need to focus on school — the campus equivalent of needing to spend more time with one’s family — but there was also the impression that she was burned out and didn’t see what she was accomplishing as a senator.
Ben Dodds had no choice but to resign because he was no longer a matriculated student. The three others all gave generic statements of a sudden realization that Senate would take time, and other things take time, too. Lassi’s contrite resignation letter, in which he wrote his “head is pointed down in shame” because he did not intend to quickly resign, indicated necessary visits to family members in Portland played a role in his decision.
Senate President Nick Gower pointed out Tuesday four of the resignations came from senators who had not been involved in the ASUO before the spring election. He could not yet surmise, he said, whether the resignations were coincidences or somehow linked. But the economics of filling three full slates of candidates last spring seems as good an explanation as any — far better than needing more time for school — for the recent flood of resignations.
Sen. Lyzi Diamond offered this explanation: “The more things you are involved in, the more people you know, the more votes you get.” So a sorority secretary, like Jessica Jones, or a student who plays on a Club Sports team, has a larger social network and a greater chance of getting elected. Those students also have greater time commitments once they are in office.
“It’s a unique thing that isn’t for everybody,” ASUO Outreach Coordinator Andrew Crampton said. “A lot of times people have a perception of what being in the ASUO is and that perception can be very different from the reality.”
Crampton, who served as campaign manager for the Students First slate on which Jones ran, had a different explanation of the effect of a large number of candidates.
“I think when you have four campaigns you’re going to have more students that are not as involved. Which is good, but you have to have really good people for the positions they are running for,” he said. Each campaign has to find some experienced students while still being “open to a wide variety of students.”
Lassi did not have any experience in student government. His resignation letter was far more forthright than most about the steep learning curve.
“I don’t feel like I can keep up with everyone else,” Lassi wrote. “I am way too many steps behind everyone and often get uncomfortable because of it. I jumped into something with no prior experience and with little training and understanding. It makes little sense for me to sit in there and try and participate when I feel that what I have to say isn’t relevant enough to what is really at the table.”
Sen. Max Barkley, who was also elected in the spring, said he is not having as much trouble keeping up with other senators. “I would say its a long process to ease into a comfortable state to where you feel you are contributing,” he said. “Every meeting I’m constantly learning, asking questions. I guess participating is the best way to learn.”
Barkley said he has no intention of resigning, which must be good news for Gower. The two senators who resigned this week were votes Gower could persuade; each will be replaced with appointees selected by ASUO President Emma Kallaway, who is far more progressive.
Crampton, who will help Kallaway recruit potential appointees through his outreach post, said ideal appointees will come from outside of student government but from areas with transferable skills such as student programs and fraternities and sororities.
The resignations are not a reflection of current student interest in the ASUO, Crampton said.
“ASUO got a lot of coverage last year so people know more about it,” he said. “I think it’s seen as more open and less divisive this year. I think people are a lot more likely to get involved.”
Let’s hope so.
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Are slates to blame?
Daily Emerald
October 20, 2009
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