Student Senate Report 10/11/2006
In Which The Student Senate Learns The Meaning Of The Phrase “Appearance of Impropriety”
The Student Senate met last night at the Living Learning Center, in an effort to “increase the visibility” of the Senate. Why they would try to court any increased visibility is frankly baffling, given that the meeting (as usual) drifted between being deathly boring, and laughably embarrassing. This venue change will not be permanent, and for the next meeting, our elected officials will scuttle back to the EMU boardroom, and to the obscurity they so richly deserve.
The meeting kicked off with term addresses from the newly elected senate officers, an interlude falling more under the “boring” category than the “embarrassing.” One point of considerable interest arose, when Senate President Sara Hamilton made mention in her speech of the fact that about $1 million in unspent student fees had rolled over from last year, a fact Hamilton called “bad” and suggested solving it by “giving back to students.” It was not entirely clear at the time whether this would come in the form of a cash rebate to students, or perhaps a “gift” of “bike racks… or something” as VP Rosenberg put it in his address. Given the fact that the incidental fee has increased $13/term since last year, yes Sara, $1 million in rollover is BAD. Please, please, please do not treat this money like it’s a windfall for you to spend on some “campus legacy gift” that will kinda-sorta-maybe benefit students but will really make you all look good… for gods sake, give the money back!
No Senate meeting is complete without a shake-your-head, I-must-be-dreaming, Whisky-Tango-Foxtrot moment. Luckily for me, the Emerald covered this one, and quite well too. Needless to say, when the question “have you told the Marching Band that you plan on completely defunding them?” received an answer “no we haven’t” from Senator Guzman, it was clear that we had crossed over into the embarrassment zone. “Why haven’t you talked to them about it?” asked Senator Kinsey, “because they’re going to read about it in the paper tomorrow.” Guzman’s reply was unequivocal, “That was definitely a discrepancy that we made.” Perhaps the most disturbing aspect to all this, is the fact that there are “other groups that (the executive) is looking at” for similar treatment. From the perspective of a fiscal conservative and a fee-funded organization, the problem is not so much the fact that the executive is trying to find other funding sources for certain programs, as the fact that this is being done with zero transparency. If there is a rationale for eliminating incidental fee funding to a program, surely that rationale could be shared (at the very least) with the program itself.
The final highlight of the meeting was the vote to confirm former seat 11 (undeclared) Senator Oscar Guerra to the vacant Senate seat 1 (PFC). Guerra spoke of his experience as budget director at MeChA, and his experience at seat 11. He said that although elected to the undeclared seat, he had since declared a major and could not in good conscience remain as a representative of undeclared students. Clearly Senator Guerra (and those who backed this move) have not taken too close a gander at the ‘ol Green Tape Notebook, which states “a member elected or appointed pursuant to Sec. 5.4 to an Academic Student Senate seat who is a pre-major (undeclared) student may adopt a major and continue to serve on the Student Senate until his or her term of office expires.” So then why did Senator Guerra switch seats? Are the dictates of his conscience more strict than the rules of the Green Tape notebook? Or was the move motivated the fact that the PFC seat holds considerably more clout than a lowly undeclared academic seat?
The senate did not let such scurrilous considerations cloud its deliberations, but perhaps it should have, considering the scrutiny which was brought to bear on the hiring process. The hiring committee was made up of Senator Hamilton, Senator Guzman, Senator Lleras, and Executive Outreach Coordinator Mike Fillipelli, a group with overlapping interests which did not escape the Senates attention. Two of the four are members of the Executive, three of the four are Axelrod slate members, and two of the four are members of MeChA. The fact that Guerra and the other two hiring committee recommendations that were brought to the senate for confirmation were all members, or former members of MeChA raised some concern. Senator McKenzie even went as far as to question whether the candidates were coming legitimately, questioning the viewpoint neutrality of the hiring committee. His concerns were echoed by other Senators, and were hardly alleviated by the dismissive responses from hiring committee members Lleras and Guzman. The justification for picking Guerra, was largely attributed to the need to “get the senate to full strength,” a goal that was clearly not accomplished by shuffling a Senator from one seat to another.
The Guerra hiring process debate is essentially moot, because of the fact that as President, Axelrod is within his rights to nominate anyone he wishes. Clearly there were problems with the process, such as Senator Guzman’s failure to show up to Former Senator Dallas Browns interview for the position. Mr. Brown made his own case for why he is at least as qualified as Senator Guerra, but no one mentioned the fact that 9 other students also applied for the position. Every student leader, from President Axelrod on down waxes eloquently about the need to involve more students in their government, yet last night the Senate fundamentally failed that noble aspiration by shuffling a Senator from a seat he could easily have held to a position of greater power, in an incredibly non-transparent process and at the expense of a greater diversity of student voices. Furthermore, the fact that fully half of the hiring committee (including the ASUO Vice President) has deep ties to the single student group (MeChA), and that EVERY ONE of the committees choices for these positions also has deep ties to MeChA provides (if nothing else) a deeply troubling appearance of impropriety. Even worse is the fact that Senator Guzman feels like she can simply disregard these concerns because they lack evidence. The reason political corruption, cronyism and nepotism is so rampant at every level of government, Ms. Guzman, is precisely because it is so easy to conceal. If you can not understand how blatantly it appears that you are packing the ASUO with members of YOUR group, to positions that will decide on the funding of that very group, you are indeed part of the problem.
Oscar Guerra was confirmed by a vote of 8 to 4 with one abstention.
OK but the ASUO deals with everything from making sure that you get your football tickets to making sure that we have child care subsidy things people need to start caring about. Simply not caring and calling that a position and then turning around and complaining about what is happening is simply ridiculous!
No, we need to just stop with the whole farce. If 90% of the student body doesn’t care about it, the thing probably isn’t important. Abolish the incidental fee, save students the $600 a year, and call it a day. Not caring about the ASUO is a position, most people take it, so I say we just abolish the stupid thing.
So… we need to get people out to vote in ASUO matters and get more people involved in the ASUO… good plan. Unfortunately, people at this school are so apathetic…
Why not wrangle in the incidental fee by cutting programs that provide no domonstrable benefit to students and by eliminating stipended positions at student groups? Oh wait, that’d be wildly unpopular with the 5.01% of the student body which constitutes the “majority” in an ASUO election. Oh Public Choice Theory, is there nothing you can’t explain?
I think that the point is to wrangle in the student incidental fee by examining programs that accross the nation are rarely funded in part or whole by the incidental fee. A proposition I support. However, they definately have gone about it in the wrong way by not being transparant and discussing it with the groups being immediately and directly efffected…
If they want to save every student a whopping $10 a year, I can thing of better things for them to cut.
Even if the senate refunds some of that $1 mil, I doubt they’ll pay it out to those of us who paid into it for last year.
I won’t expect my refund check any time soon.
I was glad to see that debate actually went on about the appointments… process and all. Even if a minority of senators actually listened to it…
Sure; not all students in the band march. Next time you’re at a football game, watch during halftime and look at the percussion instruments on the sideline with 20 or so people behind them. They don’t march; it’s called the “pit” and it’s the percussionists who play mallet instruments, synths and other large contraptions that would be quite cumbersome to move around.
Oh, so that’s it. The marching band is being defunded because students in wheelchairs have a hard time moving in formation while playing an instrument? Good call people, the marching band has been a bastion of intolerance for too long. Good thing we aren’t funding programs that discriminate based on the color of students skin right?
oh wait.
Hey Liz, quick question. How would a student in a wheelchair who played, lets say trumpet, be able to participate in the marching band? I dont mean to be rude, but I was just wondering what your thoughts were on this and if you had come across this type of thing before.
Nieder your analysis is good, but c’mon what were you expecting when Jared took over the ASUO? It’s a tea party and only mechas are invited. if youre in power, then you will do whatever it takes to not loose it. The sad part is people don’t care, so until they do I guess they will just loose all their money to student fees!
The memo originated from the executive, and was “leaked” when Senator Papilliou mentioned that it had showed up in his box, and asked Juliana Guzman for an explanation. Guzman’s breezy “oh, that” betrayed no surprise that it was at least common knowledge among Senators.
In my opinion, the Marching Band situation is being way overplayed at the expense of the stunning lack of diversity in the appointments that the Executive has made. Maybe Jared needs to look up the word diversity in the dictionary, because packing members of a single student group into every open position does not fit most commonly accepted definitions of diversity. Then again, maybe he has lost control of his executive, and what we’re seeing is a coalition being overrun by a single aggressive faction. Either way, there is no possible way that the most qualified candidates for all three positions just happened to all be members of MeChA.
I realize that the traditional response to charges of cronyism in the ASUO is no response at all. If Senators Guzman and Lleras are willing to play shocked when the suggestion arose at the senate meeting, I have no doubt that the executive is prepared to simply ignore the concerns of this publication. The students of this school deserve better.
“Cultural advancement”? Perhaps not in the same way as, say, a MEChA or an Oregon Voice (lord help us all… are they still around?), but yes.
It’s an organization open to all students, regardless of educational or musical background, major, or experience. It also serves a practical purpose for those SOM students majoring in music performance and music education. Only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the band is comprised of music majors; there are students from almost every department in the band. It really does make for an interesting mix of people: freaks, dorks, musical geniuses, stoners, frat guys and sorority bitches, international students, punks, drunks and everyone else. If that’s not cultural advancement, I don’t knwo what is. I joined because I like playing music and I like to party. Laugh if you will, but my decision to come to the U of O was largely based on the reputation of its band being one of the best in the country, and I know I’m not the only one. Was it the smartest choise academically? Probably not, but I grew as a musician, learned a lot from my peers and my involvement with the group was the most positive experience of my years at the university.
As far as visibility goes, there’s the obvious: they’re at all the football games. They’re even at most of the basketball games and some volleyball games. The OMB itself and its sub-groups (the Green Garter Band, dance team, winter and spring programs) serve as huge recruitment tools for the university. From year to year, membership fluctuates between 150 to 250 or so; I’d find it hard to believe that the band is any less visible than any other campus group. Seems like de-funding this group would piss more than just a couple people off.
How does the ASUO define “cultural advancement”? Is it really possible for a campus group to reach all students? Students give about as much of a crap about one campus group to the next unless they happen to be involved with it.
Liz: “I spoke with a marching band staff member earlier and it seems some information was
Not originating from Senate, eh? I suppose the Executive must’ve decided to do it? Okay, wait, the Senate still went for it. So, in the immortal words of Kirk: double dumb-ass on you!
Whose idea was it? The band’s?
I left my number…
Liz, you called the senate earlier and left a message but no return number. Please contact us again by email or phone. And to clarify: this is NOT originating from senate
I spoke with a marching band staff member earlier and it seems some information was “leaked” (shock), the ODE “printed incorrect and misleading information” (bigger shock) and, even though there’s a battle between the ASUO and the OMB about this every year, the ASUO’s own by-laws mandate that whatever it was that might have happened, in fact, can’t happen. And unlike so many of the groups that receive funding from the incidental fee, the band actually serves a purpose. When I was around the marching band was, and as far as I know still is, the largest student group on campus. Damn.
Liz
OMB ’00-’04
Why can’t they just have a kegger? According to substitution effect and because most students have an inelastic demand for alcohol, that would have the same effect of giving the money back to the students.
Alas, economics has no quarter with the ASUO.
I say you build a giant bonfire out of the extra money. At least that will be neat looking for a minute.
Apathy: looks like it’s time to get a new handle.
Jonathan: It’s not that the idea’s a bad one, it’s that unless conceived and executed without the ASUO’s business as usual, uninspired, self-aggrandizing groupthink, it will simply be a monument to ego. I try to be optomistic about any democracy. The ASUO has issues, and it doesn’t take an idiot to see plenty of them. Best of luck.
How about giving me my damn money back, and getting that moron Guzman off of the Senate? Thank you.
The bike rack comment was a joke. We’ll leave it at that. But I stand by the idea of giving the University a gift – something which would be meaningful to all students. Examples include… a bike rack. I can’t think of anything else right now. Maybe a bike chain? Like a giant bike chain for all students to share. What do you guys think? It would be shaped like a duck. I’m still working on the logistics of it.
Nate’s back!
Jared Axelrod…great president or greatest president?
If they want a memorial to this year’s ASUO, why don’t they just demolish Fenton and erect a statue of Steve Morozumi in its place?
FYI, I was one of the people who applied for Senate Seat 1. Regardless of my qualifications, it was a shame that I had to even consider that something like this would happen.
I like Oscar, but it’s unfortunate that this type of thing is still going on in the ASUO.
I guess I
I personally hope that my hard-earned money goes to another bike rack: God knows we don’t have enough of those around campus. Thank you Rosenberg for your continuing genius!
I guess I’d like to think that they are at least a bit gunshy about going after media… your point stands though.
I think Meghann is pretty right, although because they would definitely target the content of the magazine, they’d never actually succeed.
“For all I know, the Commentator could be one of the
sure, or at the very least they could… I don’t know, maybe let the programs in question know that their funding is being scrutinized? For all I know, the Commentator could be one of the “other programs” they are considering cutting. Sure, it seems unlikely, but how would we know?
From the ODE link, the Exec’s justification for getting rid of the marching band:
“With enough support, the ASUO as a whole can succeed in potentially level-funding or even decreasing the Incidental fee for 2007-2008, an enormous victory for students at the University of Oregon.”
Suddenly, the sky darkens with porcine activity.
(Although if this actually were a goal of the ASUO, surely the best way to go about it would be to tighten belts across the board, rather than capriciously picking one or two programs each year and attempting to systematically annihilate them. Just a thought.)
Por la raza, todo. Didn’t you get the memo, Ted?