We went to the ASUO Senate meeting so you didn’t have to. Here’s what you need to know:
Senate approved special request to bring a controversial speaker to campus
Young Americans for Liberty requested $4,500 to bring Milo Yiannopoulos to campus. Yiannopoulos, who identifies himself as “an ultimate troll,” is the Breitbart.com technology editor, alt-right provocateur, #GamerGate champion, Twitter martyr and inveterate self-promoter, Buzzfeed reported. He also started Yiannopoulos Privilege Grant, a scholarship fund that is exclusive for white men.
“He brings in a new viewpoint that is not often talked about on campus and will give everyone in attendance something new to think about,” the special request documents stated.
Many senators, including senator Nakai Corral, said they disagreed with what Yiannopoulos stands for, but supported the event.
“It’s important that we are be able to coexist with people we don’t agree with all the time,” Corral said. “I’d ask the senate to push the freedom of speech and allow this speaker on campus.”
Earlier this year, Senate was called out for violating viewpoint neutrality as it declined to fund for over YAL’s event that raffles firearms.
This time senate passed the request with 18 “yes,” zero “no” and three abstained votes.
The event is May 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Senate passed 15 other special requests, spending $21,701 in total.
- Muslim Student Association requested $2,300 from surplus and $898 within its budget for its Abrahamic Faiths Night event.
- International Students Association requested $4,300 for food for its Coffee Hour event.
- LGBTQA3 requested $3,728.44 within its budget for its Pride Week and Pride Speaker Series.
- International Business Association granted $441 for its April event, First Step in Success, and $424 for a May event, Find Your Own Future.
- Saudi Student Association requested $5,700 for its event, Arabian Gulf, on May 6 at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
- University of Oregon Student Labor Action Project requested $300 to celebrate May Day Celebration.
- National Society of Collegiate Scholars is requesting $3,500 to host a conference with two guest speakers, Joey Jenkins and Tom DeLuca, a hypnotist.
- Net Impact requested $1,000 from surplus to host an event, SPRNG Conference Food Fight!
- CPLA is requesting $965 for its event, The Voice of UO. The funding will cover technology support costs for the event.
- PRSSA requested to transfer $129 and $115 to its Peer Mentorship Program.
- Ahiru Daiko requested $2,190 to host a Eugene Community Taiko Meetup.
- ACCA requested $485 for its event comic-con on April 15 at 6 p.m. in GSH 123.
- ROAR requested to transfer $2,950 within its budget to bring a speaker, Angela Davis, to campus.
