Three weeks ago, after a 30-minute discussion about the unusual circumstances surrounding her appointment, Nyla Jamison was sworn in as ASUO Executive Vice President. Nearly a month later, Jamison has settled into her job, regularly attending ASUO senate meetings and informing her peers about the work of the executive branch.
Since Jamison’s appointment, she has worked hard in her role, even going above and beyond in her position by taking an interest in the senate budgeting plans and ensuring that communication between the branches remains open and clear.
“Nyla’s been that direct source we’ve been missing,” Isaiah Boyd, the senate president said about Jamison. “We didn’t have a direct source in the senate to speak on what [the executive] have been doing. That’s kind of what her position is all about, ensuring an open communication between the senate and the executive.”
Jamison grew up in Oakland, California and attended St. Elizabeth High School. She came to the University of Oregon to study Biology before switching to Political Science.
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“Before I joined ASUO, I had no idea what it was,” Jamison said. As her experience grew in her position before Vice President, Jamison figured out how she wanted to use her role in ASUO. “I needed to reach out to more students who don’t know about [ASUO]. I love to represent students and hear each argument from every side.”
Jamison started in the current administration as the External Director. In this job, Jamison dealt with five different groups: events coordination, food insecurity, tuition engagement, mental health advocates and the international students coordinator.
According to Jamison, before the selection of a new Vice President was final, she had no heads up that she was even being considered for the position. One day, Jamison said, ASUO President Sabinna Pierre approached her and asked her to fill the position of Vice President.
The controversy surrounding Jamison’s appointment comes from the notion that there were some grey areas in the ASUO constitution that allowed Pierre to swear in Jamison without a senate vote. Senate President Boyd discussed the senate’s steps to mend these grey areas.
“Hopefully we will be revising [the grey areas] through the ballots this year,” Boyd said. “Just so there is a bit more accountability for the students.”
Despite this, Boyd stressed his admiration for Jamison’s work ethic and dedication to the students.
Jamison touched on upcoming projects that she looks forward to presenting to the student body in the future.
“We’re currently working on three campaigns: a mental health awareness campaign, a campaign to find safe spaces for undocumented students and a tuition advocacy campaign,” Jamison said, without offering any further details.
According to Jamison, students can expect more events on campus and a stronger push to reach more underrepresented communities on campus. The executive’s boldest plan is based on finding ways to ensure food insecurity is resolved on campus in the near future.
