ASUO Senator Ben Rudin has submitted an official complaint against the K&A campaign after he found this suspicious Duckweb link on their website. You will find a nice advisory banner to the left of that page, which tells students to:

4) Vote on the ballot measures!
Vote ‘Yes’ on all of them except the
advisory questions #1 and #2

Rudin asks that the candidates be ordered to cease campaigning for the remainder of the primary elections. The Oregon Commentaor seconds that request.

Here’s an excerpt from the official grievance.

Describe any steps that you have taken to resolve the conflict.  Include any official procedures that have been followed.

I texted Katie at 1:46 p.m. asking her to take it down before 5 p.m. She did not.

 

Are you aware of any laws, rules, etc. that you believe have been violated?  If so, please list them.  Please refer to University and State laws, if applicable.

 

“1.2.     Elections and campaigns must be carried out in the best interests of the student body, as determined by the ASUO Elections Board, and in compliance with §13 of the ASUO Constitution.”

 

By taking a neutral URL (asuo2012.com) and redirecting it to a partisan page, she is abusing the credibility of that URL. With Katie & Alex engaging in a fraudulent and deceptive practice, the election is not being carried out in the best interest of the student body

 

“6.4.     Egregious campaign violations shall consist of, but are not limited to: submitting votes for other students; tampering with the electronic election system; harassment, intimidation, bribery or fraud with the intent of affecting the outcome of the election; libelous or slanderous statements or conduct; tampering with another campaign’s materials with malicious intent; intentional actions to mislead or obstruct the duties of the Elections Board.

 

6.4.a.  Consequences for egregious violations may include suspension of campaigning, removal from ballot, and removal from office.”

 

The Katie & Alex campaign are taking a neutral URL and directing it to a partisan website. That is clearly fraud with intent of affecting the outcome of the election.

 

“5.1.    Candidates, tickets, campaign committees and affiliated individuals shall be held responsible for all election-related activities explicitly or implicitly authorized by the campaign.”

 

This Facebook event is put on by Andrew Rogers, a Katie & Alex volunteer. Katie Taylor, Alex Sylvester, Joanna Stewart, and Alexandra Flores-Quilty RSVP’d as attending this event, which demonstrates knowledge and implied authorization.

What is your desired outcome of the grievance/complaint?

I am asking that the Katie & Alex campaign be ordered to cease and desist all use of ASUO2012.com and be suspended from campaigning for the remainder of primary elections.

 

 

Mmmmmmm here it comes everybody! We’re at the climax of ASUO Elections Week. The corner of 13^th & University is an absolute no-fly zone, the Ol’ Dirty Emerald is gettin’ preachy, Eugene resembles a special, nippy kind of hell, and the Oregon Commentator is providing some real damp elections coverage this year. With all of this, we see that the cogent, student voter is met with immeasurable adversity, and we beckon him to transcend! Transcend all of this vain tumult and sign into Duckweb anyway. Vote. Pick your poison. Choose the lesser of the inherent evils that will govern you next year. But before you do, learn your candidates from the only publication to have a glass of beer for a mascot—a glass of beer that has arms and a fuckin’ cigar in one hand, and a beer in the other. That’s right, a beer holdin’ a beer! Here’s what none of you have been waiting for. We are proud to present the Official 2012 Oregon Commentator Voter’s Guide.

I.

Cimmeron Gillepsie (Abolish Capitalism)

WHO HE IS: That guy in the Civil War uniform crossing the lawn.

IN A NUTSHELL: He’d like to eliminate all hierarchical institutions, and promote “community liberation and revolution,” “transformative solidarity,” and “stewardship.”

AND MORE SPECIFICALLY: He wants to use the I-Fee “to purchase small arms for the entire student body in order to take over all of Cascadia.”

WHY HE’S ALRIGHT: The question, rather, is how isn’t he?

WHY HE’S NOT: Obviously this platform is seamless, but breaking ODE news tells us that HE HAS UNEXPECTEDLY ENDORSED KATIE & ALEX. Whatever, you still better fucking vote Abolish Capitalism 2012.

II.

Katie Taylor & Alex Sylvester (Katie & Alex)

WHO THEY ARE: The radical progressive choice. Katie’s current ASUO Vice President.  Alex is the Educational Director of the LGBTQA.

IN A NUTSHELL: They say they’re “committed” to making every student’s voice “heard, included, and respected.”

AND MORE SPECIFICALLY: They’re into providing intense advocacy for “underrepresented and “non-traditional” students, and aim to place these particular students in the ASUO as well. Priorities include “bringing back anonymous reporting forms to empower victims of sexual assault.”

WHY THEY’RE ALRIGHT: Dear God this is tough. I don’t know, they’re for keeping the DPS unarmed.

WHY THEY’RE NOT: In a moderate dissent, they’re promises to haggle administration for a lower the cost of the new EMU/SRC is a masked way of delaying the process, maybe even an attempt to table the whole idea. I know that if I call into question their efforts to “advocate marginalized students,” I’m earning myself a guaranteed BIGOT accusation, so I won’t go there. But in regards to Katie Taylor herself, as current ASUO Vice President, as a human being, I’m going to try and put the Commentator’s rampant disapproval of this person’s very existence as modestly as possible, but only because she’s literally been a campus publication piñata for an entire school year. How about this: In the Jazz Age, Katie Taylor would be what they may have called a shady lady bird.  Did the Commentator just try and insult somebody by calling them a shady lady bird? Look. If you’re into money laundering, secret matrimonies among political figures that help rob students of over 100k, and getting arrested in D.C. to make a statement, she’s your gal.

III.

Ben Bowman & Lamar Wise (Ben & Lamar)

WHO THEY ARE: The mildly progressive choice. Ben’s the Chair of the ACFC and an ASUO Senator. Lamar is ASUO Senate president.

IN A NUTSHELL:  Their trying to compel voters to “Create the Future” by helping them pursue big dreams like lowering the cost of education and engaging a wider-array of students in the ASUO.

AND MORE SPECIFICALLY:  Priorities include copious student voter registration and “consistent presence in the halls of decision making, on and off campus.”

WHY THEY’RE ALRIGHT: They’re adamant about passing a measure to start the EMU/SRC renovation. Ben acknowledges the “politicization” that plagues the ASUO, and said “we cannot sever relationships like our incumbent.” Most importantly, he took the time to interview with the Commentator on super short-notice.

WHY THEY’RE NOT: Earlier this year, the Con Court found Ben guilty of violating “viewpoint neutrality” as a key voter on OSPIRG’s %97 budget increase. Ben himself, when he was Ben & Katie’s elections coordinator last year, and Ben’s current elections coordinator, Sophie Luthin, have both been formally reprimanded for pre-campaigning. The Ben & Lamar slate is even accused of creating this, a fake website about the We are Oregon candidates.

IV.

Laura & Nick (We Are Oregon)

WHO THEY ARE: The conservative choice. Laura’s the Panhellenic President of the UO Greek System, an ASUO Senator, and a member of the PFC. Nick’s the president of the Residence Hall Association.

IN A NUTSHELL: They want to use the I-fee “to better the student experience.”

AND MORE SPECIFICALLY: Priorities for next year include hosting a “big-name concert” and a “big-name speaker.” Unlike the methods of the other candidates, they want to use Lariviere’s “new and creative” solution for reducing tuition called the “New Partnership.”

WHY THEY’RE ALRIGHT: Laura acknowledges the fact that millions of dollars were lost last winter when the EMU/SRC renovation measure wasn’t passed, and is also adamant about passing that shit RIGHT MEOW. Their commitment to keep funds on campus ensures the worried Commentator that no part of the I-fee will go to OSPIRG. Most importantly, they hosted dollar beers at Taylor’s last night.

WHY THEY’RE NOT: Vocal supporters of We Are Oregon include some of the Commentator’s biggest arch nemeses: Delta Gamma sorority, the Ol’ Dirty Emerald, LaMichael James, and that one frat douche.

Again, apparently the only (write-in) candidate gracious enough to give a girl an interview.

Name

Ben Schorr

Year in School

Freshman

Major
Undeclared

Hometown

Portland, Oregon

Tell us your slate, ever so briefly. And more importantly, provide a succinct yet compelling set of sentences that aim to rationally persuade us to adhere to it.

Boy, you Commentator girls and your vocabulary. After googling the term “slate,” I learned that it means a fine-grained gray, green, or bluish metamorphic rock easily split into smooth, flat plates. So, I can tell you that I have absolutely no slate in this election. After further research I discovered that succinct means short, not what happened to the dinosaurs. If only dinosaurs were still around today. A man can dream…

Which inadequacy or injustice at the UO keeps you up at night the most? How do you plan to remedy this?

I believe it’s outrageous that there is no room 420 in the residence halls. I expressed my concerns on this matter in an announcement that I submitted to the Oregon Commentator earlier this year. It is my goal that by the year 2014 EVERY room be #420.

Without listing experience, what’s so special about you anyway? Why are you doing this?

Oh, thank God you didn’t ask for experience. I’m special because I can represent the voice of the every man, and I will do this by not talking very much. Because really, most people don’t care about this stuff anyway.

Students have found that ASUO elections rouse a kind of futile discourse consisting of many “empty promises.” To quote Shakespeare, candidate promises truly sound like “much ado about nothing.” Obviously there’s a lot to be done at the UO, but let’s not forget how short an executive term is. Slates aside, what are your principal, feasible priorities?

That’s a great question. Though I will work my hardest in many different ways to keep the UO an alright place, mostly, I can absolutely promise you and my fellow students one thing. I will eat a tuna sandwich at least a couple times in the upcoming months. What does this have to do with the UO? Nothing. Will this help anyone? No, probably not. But is this the honest-to-God truth? You bet your ass it is. With Ben Schorr, what you hear is what you get. I like to set my goals low that way I don’t disappoint anyone. Ya know, I like the sound of that. Here’s the new slogan, “Ben Schorr: Expect to be Disappointed.”

Although the ASUO is one of the most established student governments in the country, a majority of the UO student body remains apathetic (and annoyed) during elections. If you could speak to these apathetic students in particular, what would you tell them?

I’d tell them to GO F&*K THEMSELVES, this is my life!

And now for the most pressing of inquiries: As you may or may not know, we’re all about the booze here at the Commentator. If you could have a drink with anyone, who would it be and what would you be drinking? Be very specific.

As I have expressed earlier in this interview, I long to roam with the dinosaurs. Therefore, I would choose to drink with any kind of dinosaur, a drink of their choice. It could be anything; seriously, I’d drink my own piss to meet a dinosaur.
But let’s be more realistic. I would drink alone, as per usual. My drink would consist of the tears of my enemies, mixed with Jager. Followed inevitably by my own tears, but I’d rather not talk about that part. Then more Jager.

Well he’s the only one thus far to oblige the Commentator with an interview !