The EMU is considered by many people to be the hub of student activities and dining on campus, and students invest more than $3 million annually in student incidental fees in the building and its services. University students will elect one of four candidates to represent their interests in this multimillion dollar investment on the EMU Board of Directors as a part of the responsibilities for ASUO Student Senate Seat 4.
The Emerald asked each candidate general questions and two questions specific to senate rules: How many senators’ votes are needed to submit articles of impeachment against the ASUO President, and what is the most important part of Senate Rules Section 5, which lists senators’ duties?
Guru Simrat K. Khalsa is a 22-year-old freshman and spent the last several years traveling, but she now wants to get involved in the campus community. She plans to major in international studies and journalism, and minor in business. She is not involved with any activities or student groups on campus, but she wants to become more engaged in University life and thought running for a student government office would be a good way to do it. Khalsa said she has not read the Student Senate rulebook and would not be able to answer rule-related questions.
Q: How would you figure out how to spend the senate surplus?
Khalsa: Well, that really depends. I’m going for the EMU board and they deal with allocating office space, but also giving money to different groups and programs and events and shows that come on. Maybe organizing a really fun event. I’m just talking about in my category, because that’s what we deal with. Or maybe putting more money into an event that people really like, or doing something like that.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent?
Khalsa: It’s probably money. I think money is one of the biggest issues for everybody — getting funding for their different programs. Within the EMU it might be getting the space, that they can get the time and space, or the office space, they might want a better office, or maybe getting more money for their event or their group.
Gabe Kjos, a sophomore and double major in journalism and political science, is currently an ASUO intern and vice chairman of the University Residence Hall Association. He wants to take a stand against selling tobacco in Erb Essentials. Kjos did not know the required number of votes to submit articles of impeachment or that Section 5 lists the senators’ duties, but he felt a senator’s most important job is to be accessible to students.
Q: How would you figure out how to spend the senate surplus?
Kjos: I think what we first need to get a hold on is where the money is going — the income of the money, where the money has been spent in previous years and what groups need to be prioritized for money. I think the EMU board budget is really different in the fact that they have to deal with the state mandatory increases. I think one thing as a student senator is seeing where those priorities are for the campus and for our mission statement in the ASUO.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent?
Kjos: I think one of the biggest things that we’d see is that the EMU touches more students than any other organization on campus. And making sure that — while I serve on the EMU board and on the senate — that things run smoothly on both and making sure that the ASUO understands the EMU board budget, and that everybody in the EMU is satisfied with the experience they’re getting.
Julian Pscheid is a computer and information science major with junior standing, though it is only his second year at the University. He said he has gained leadership experience through his involvement in the greek system and the Interfraternity Council, but if he is elected to Student Senate he plans to resign from the IFC at the end of the term to concentrate on student government. Pscheid did not know the required votes to submit articles of impeachment. He knew that Section 5 lists senators’ duties but did not think any one duty was more important than another.
Q: How would you figure out how to spend the senate surplus?
Pscheid: Well, I’ve always been very open to all student groups on campus and I’m definitely not biased toward anything through my involvement in other student groups, especially the greek system. I will be open and fair toward any student group that comes in for interviews and asks for money.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent, if elected?
Pscheid: I guess there’s always issues with student groups not being able to get the money they want and being hostile once they don’t get it and taking things on a personal level. I think integrity, keeping up the integrity of the senate, especially if it’s attacked by student groups who don’t get their funding. That’s I guess the biggest concern that I would have. If student groups don’t get the funding that they want, is that they take stuff to a personal level, and keeping the integrity of the senators and the senate as a whole is probably one of my main issues and concerns.
Rodrigo Moreno Villamar, a junior political science major, said he decided to run for senate because he is concerned about the allocation of student incidental fees. Moreno is involved with the Multicultural Center and MEChA, and helped create a MEChA chapter at Churchill High School and a band within MEChA that plays Mexican folklore music. Moreno did not know the required votes to submit articles of impeachment or that Section 5 lists the senators’ duties.
Q: How would you figure out how to spend the senate surplus?
Moreno: 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.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent?
Moreno: 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, getting enough funding for 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.