Deciding how to vote in an election can be difficult when both campaigns have remarkably similar agendas. Independent candidates Amelie Rousseau and Maneesh Arora support responsible spending, giving students a greater voice in the ASUO, and increasing campus sustainability, as do Alex McCafferty and Alden Williams of the Reality Check slate.
Rousseau and Arora present commendable ideas for improving the University, such as prioritizing student safety, strengthening ties between campus communities, and adding a housing advocate to the ASUO staff. But their opponents present a more solid platform with tangible goals and specific results laid out.
McCafferty and Williams realize they must address existing concerns within the scope of the ASUO — inadequate student parking, greater demand for student football tickets, and funding OSPIRG — before moving on to new issues. They prioritize top student concerns, and their platform demonstrates their ability to come up with tangible, new solutions to real problems. For these reasons, McCafferty and Williams are the best candidates for ASUO executive.
McCafferty and Williams propose solutions that — while not always entirely feasible — are creative and resourceful. For instance, they seek to increase student parking by opening the Autzen Stadium lot and creating a shuttle service to and from campus. Although it’s debatable whether the ASUO can adjust its contract with Lane Transit District to make room for an additional shuttle service, the idea demonstrates the candidates’ ability to make the most out of the resources available to them.
They are on the right track with their plans for creative spending; in other words, using less money to expand student programs and services. They firmly oppose renewing OSPIRG’s $117,000 contract with the ASUO, arguing the funds would be better spent improving programs and organizations that already exist on campus.
McCafferty has worked with the Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee for more than two years. His knowledge of the budgetary process and his previous work implementing the electronic ticketing system show he can make his goal of increasing the amount of student football tickets achievable and carry more solutions into office.
Both campaigns offer years of leadership experience to the position, and both campaigns are committed to making the University a better place. Despite overlapping platforms, McCafferty and Williams show a greater emphasis on making sure students get the most out of their student fees, which is essential in a time of economic consciousness. The ASUO needs an executive office that can address issues currently facing the student body and enact a plan of action, and McCafferty and Williams are the most pragmatic candidates to achieve this goal.
Of the roughly 22,000 students at the University, 5,157 voted in the ASUO primary election. Voter turnout is too low for an election that affects the entire student body, and the numbers show every vote can make a difference. No matter whom is elected, the Emerald Editorial Board encourages all students to examine the differences between the two platforms and exercise their right to choose next year’s ASUO.
Editor’s note: McCafferty serves on the Emerald Board of Directors, which has no control over editorial content, as well as the ACFC, which awards the Emerald its ASUO funding. To avoid a conflict of interest, he did not participate in the Emerald’s budget hearing.
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