Don’t Let the Door Hit You On the Way Out
Subject: EMU Board Question
From: “Elise Presicci” <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:55:20 -0700
Hello,
My name is Elise Presicci and I am the Chair of the House Committee for the EMU Board of Directors. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to respond to your question. I got your email from Max Boomer, whom you talked to at the EMU Board office. I was emailing you to answer a question that you had about OSPIRG’s office space in the EMU. OSPIRG is no longer a student recognized group at the University of Oregon and therefore by holding an office space in the EMU they are going against the EMU by laws. The House Committee has had a few discussions about this and we are currently in the process of informing OSPIRG of this problem. Hopefully we will meet with OSPIRG next week, I am currently setting up a meeting, and we they will begin the process of vacating the office if all goes well.
I hope I answered your question, I am not positive exactly what is was, but please don’t hesitate to email me back with any further questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Elise Presicci
All the aforementioned comments are mute now due to the emu’s current actions. You have underestimated the student leaders because such leaders in the past were slow to act. Give Elise and the emu some credit on this one. The email was professional, responsive, and the matter was taken care of in a more civilized manner than the above suggestions (e.g. DPS throwing them out).
Sometimes governing bodies work pretty well. Swallow your cynical pride on this one and thank Elise for stepping up and doing her job.
Betz, I am leaning towards #4 (which you failed to mention): Elise is a new member on the emu board who is following through on her responsibilities and, with time to get up to speed, is fixing problems that require attention.
What I’m trying to say is you’re barking up the wrong tree. Dusty Miller. E-mail him directly.
“Chair director”? Elise Presicci is an elected student representative who chairs a subcommittee of an ASUO subcommittee. Your e-mail appears to have been foisted off on her by an infinitesimally more powerless student probably paid half a crust of bread an hour to mind some desk.
Basically, you tried to plunge into a bureaucratic cesspool looking for answers and couldn’t even get that far.
Oh come on, Zach. You know that you want to see video of these chumpbuckets getting zapped as much as I do.
Call DPS and EPD to throw em out. Make sure they bring Tasers……without the built in video.
I had a different interpretation on the letter. It basically sounded like “Elsie” had no clue that OSPIRG was still around, but is either 1) too powerless in her office (as chair director of the freaking EMU, mind you) to forcibly vacate the OSPIRG reps from the premises; or, 2) is too clueless as to know how to actually proceed in this situation; or 3) is giving OSPIRG leeway on their eviction so as not to “offend” them or “hurt their feelings”. I am leaning heavily toward response number 2, although 3 is a close second.
My question to Elsie:
OSPIRG is obviously in violation of the EMU bylaws – that has been established by your “discussions” with whomever. Are they, or are they not, then classified as “trespassers”?
Lets examine the facts: a) They are not University students; b) They are not supposed to be there (according to your own bylaws). Since they are breaking said bylaws … wouldn’t they be classified as “trespassers” or criminals (“Criminal” might be a strong word, but they ARE minor crimes, nonetheless). If I see a criminal, actively committing a crime – even if it is something as passive as just being an area they shouldn’t be in – do I need to “meet” with the criminal, and have a “discussion” with them, to notify them of their criminal acts? No – I would call DPS, and escort them off the premises – which is exactly how Elsie should proceed.
No need to “hope” that things “go well”.
P.S. – Why can’t anyone just circumvent Elsie’s “authority” and just call DPS themselves? Why wait for a spineless twit to stop dragging her feet?
The House Committee has had a few discussions about this and we are currently in the process of informing OSPIRG of this problem. Hopefully we will meet with OSPIRG next week, I am currently setting up a meeting, and we they will begin the process of vacating the office if all goes well. [emphasis added]
In other words:
“Dear University student. We’re going to drag our feet on this one as long as possible. It could be weeks or even months before, if all goes well, the process of vacating can even begin. In that time, we anticipate OSPIRG weaseling their way back into the ASUO’s good graces, which will obviate the need to take any meaningful action whatsoever.
In short, go take a long walk off a short cliff.
Sincerely,
Faceless Bureaucrat.”