Oregon Daily Emerald: Could you tell me your name, what year you are in school, and what your major is?
Villamar: I’m a junior. My name is Rodrigo Moreno Villamar. My major is political science, but I’m also attempting to declare anthropology.
Emerald: So you’re going to do a double major?
Villamar: Yeah.
Emerald: What other activities or student groups are you involved with on campus.
Villamar: I currently work for the Multicultural Center. I’m also very involved in MEChA and coordinating efforts between MCC, the unions, Students for Peace. Also, I am involved in separate programs within MEChA, like the creation of a MEChA at Churchill High School and the creation of an actual band that plays folklore music from Mexico within MEChA.
Emerald: Why did you decide to run for ASUO office?
Villamar: Because I think it’s important that students have a clear hold on where their incidental fee money is going. I think that specifically, that seat that deals with EMU Board is very central to where the money that we pay to come here gets allocated. So I’m really concerned about that.
Emerald: If you are elected, how will you figure out how to spend the senate surplus?
Villamar: I would see the, well first of all, we have to evaluate the needs of what is to be done in terms of who needs the money for what. That’s a very broad question. I would have to look at the particulars and see what it is.
Emerald: If you are elected, how will you interact with student groups?
Villamar: Seeing that I already do, I guess I would do more outreach, to especially the new people that are coming in, the freshmen, of course, the publications on campus, more of the student organizations that already exist, people in the greek system.
Emerald: How would you increase communication with those other groups?
Villamar: Well I would try to develop projects that would motivate all interests, or as many interests as possible, in order for them to be engaged and put some initiative on their part to make these projects work.
Emerald: What kinds of projects?
Villamar: That, again, has to be evaluated depending on who we’re working with. I was just talking to Steve Morozumi, the programs adviser for MCC and my supervisor, and we were talking about maybe having a big concert, maybe added to, say, the Folk Festival, and have like several organizations take part in that. Including Cultural Forum, MCC, the ethnic student unions and any other organizations that would be willing to collaborate on it, so that they could have some input in it and do what they wanted.
Emerald: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent, if elected?
Villamar: One, lack of representation at all levels. I think that’s my main concern, and the main concern of the students. We are not, as students, are not getting enough funding for our, let’s say our extracurricular activities, our curricular activities, we don’t have enough money for academics, especially after the defeat of Measure 28. We need to increase awareness on how we can cope with these problems and deal with these problems and restructure the existing structure so that it fulfills our needs because we are the ones that are paying for our education.
Emerald: What is the most important thing you should know in order to deal with the budget process?
Villamar: Well I would have to look at the history of the budget process of the senate and the EMU Board, in this case because it’s senate seat No. 4, and figure out from there how the spending patterns go and how some of them should continue proceeding and how some should be adjusted in any ways.
Emerald: Do you have any experience with dealing with budgets?
Villamar: Yeah, I try to help out with the budgets in organizations I am currently in, including Multicultural Center, MEChA. The other organizations really have no budget, the band doesn’t have a budget, Churchill High School MEChA doesn’t have a budget that can be seen from an outside perspective without being a Churchill High School student. Yeah, so some experience. And of course, the budget of the MCC Board is the main thing I can say about budgets. I am there almost every meeting — I can see what the pattern they’re going.
Emerald: How many senators’ votes are needed to submit articles of impeachment against the ASUO president?
Villamar: I couldn’t tell you that.
Emerald: Have you read through the senate rulebook?
Villamar: Yes, but not with my full attention.
Emerald: What’s the most important part of section five of the student senate rules and why, in your opinion?
Villamar: I couldn’t tell you that, as well.
Emerald: Well, section five lists the senators duties.
Rodrigo Moreno Villamar’s Interview
Daily Emerald
April 2, 2003
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