Three candidates are in the race for ASUO Student Senate Seat 16, Science. This position represents the interests of students from the science department, and only students in science-affiliated fields can vote in this race.

The Emerald asked each candidate three general questions and one specific question about student government: What is the most important part of Senate Rules Section 5, which lists senators’ duties?

Senior Paul Griffes is majoring in geography. He is a member of Students for Peace, the College Democrats and the University Surf Club. Saying he hadn’t memorized senate rules, Griffes looked up Section 5 and then said the most important parts were attending scheduled meetings and making himself available to the students.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Griffes: Some of the principle guidelines that I would use for allocating money would be how wide a portion of the student body is going to benefit. If your group only benefits a very small sliver of the campus population, in my eyes you shouldn’t be as entitled to money that everybody pays into as some other function that everybody benefits from.
Q: How will you interact with student groups?
Griffes: I’ll be keeping office hours, I’ll have an e-mail address and people who are interested in getting my attention who have issues will know where to contact me. I believe there are too many different groups to go out and meet everybody personally.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent?
Griffes: The most important issues facing all of us on the student body are: ability to pay for college, keeping the fees as low as possible, and increasing financial aid and making the financial aid office as responsive as possible. Another issue that I hope to be able to tackle next year is the lack of night classes.
Junior Gabrielle Guidero is majoring in geological sciences and is a member of the College Republicans. Speaking on Section 5, she said it was important that senators fulfill their duties and be there for students who have elected them.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Guidero: I’d like to see it evenly dispersed over a variety of activities, to things that will impact a lot of different groups, not just one or two. I don’t know, I see that things are covered the way they should be covered in a University. I’d like to see a real variety of speakers brought in. I really like speakers.
Q: How will you interact with student groups?
Guidero: Thoroughly and evenly.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent as a senator?
Guidero: Well, since I’m the science senator, I am not sure what all the issues are yet. (I would) bring some attention to the science department — I’m a little outspoken, I am sure I can find some ways. I really want to get involved and talk to people and find out what the issues are. I’ve actually been talking to a lot of my fellow students and teachers. I need to branch out. I started in the geology department, of course, because that’s where I am every day.
Junior Jonah Lee is majoring in exercise and movement science and biology. He is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Interfraternity Council President and the leadership division chair of the Community Internship Program. Lee was uncertain about which was the most important duty in Section 5, but he said it was important to have rules because they enable senators to be accountable for their actions.
Q: How will you figure out how to spend the surplus?
Lee: By working with the other senators and getting an idea of the interworkings of budget and things like that. I think the best thing to do is educate myself and educate other people as far as what is the need and what is the benefit.
Q: How will you interact with student groups on campus?
Lee: Well, if you know anybody on campus who knows me, I’m a fairly social person, and the actions that I take (are) based on relationships and I stem the leadership off of those relationships.
Q: What are the most important issues facing the students you would represent as a senator?
Lee: Lots of changes have been taking place since I’ve been here freshman year, everything down from the population of student body to budget. I think the change of UO is consistent and it’s constant and moving in a direction, and I think that trying to figure out what that direction is a big thing for people to understand for where they want their community to go.