Elect Hotchkiss
As anyone who has ever eaten airline food can attest,
the culinary choices are usually rather limited. Do you prefer
the creamed chicken over rice, or perhaps the steamed
chicken in mushroom sauce?
The answer is usually neither, you’d prefer something
from the Excelsior Cafe's menu. But you know you have to
choose, so you begin reluctantly weighing the pros and cons.
The Emerald is faced with a similar situation in this
year’s ASUO presidential election.
The “primary” this Wednesday and Thursday will decide
who will be next year’s student b<xly president.
The candidates are Mary Hotchkiss, supported by
Students for a Progressive Agenda and David Gibson, en
dorsed by the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic.
The ASUO presidency is a prestigious office. Student
presidents get to hobnob with the University brass. They sit
on hiring committees for University positions. When the
media calls, wanting “the student voice,” it’s the president
who speaks it.
But the bulk of the job is wrapped in the responsibility of
listening to the political and social opinions of students, ad
ministering the various student programs, and making
budget recommendations for the following year.
The Emerald feels this is best done by an administrator
who stresses finding solid evidence on student needs and
who is willing to administer them with an idea to encourage
participation in civic involvement.
And this is why the Emerald endorses Mary Hotchkiss.
We wish we could be enthusiastic, but we realize neither
candidate has a particularly strong record in administrating
programs or understanding the diversity of the student body
at the University.
The Emerald has not witnessed particularly strong
management skills from either candidate as they served in
government this year.
As a member of Balfe's administration, Gibson lists as
his high points holding Program Directors meetings and
directing this year’s poorly considered Executive Budget in
which he recommended slicing such programs as the Drug
Information Center without consideration.
Hotchkiss did not always run a tight ship as chairer of
the EMU Budget Committee. While an earnest member of
SPA, Hotchkiss was unable to implement many ideas of SPA
this year and it remains to be seen whether she would be able
to as president.
Needless to say, one of the two members will be elected
In the next three days.
The Emerald endorses Hotchkiss because her platform
stresses researching the opinion of various groups on cam
pus and using that information to make the student govern
ment an active and forceful voice at the University and in
Salem.
Hotchkiss sees the need for the ASUO Executive to
become more organized and able to discuss issues with
students. She is willing to establish a task force to
reorganize the office and their procedures in dealing with the
IFC and the EMU.
Hotchkiss has taken a realistic look at the drabness of
student government and is willing to work to improve the
political discussion here. To support that she advocates sup
porting ASUO program involvement in political issues ‘‘so
long as such action is consistent with the programs’s goals
and represents a legitimate expression of the opinions and
attitudes of at least a portion of the student community,” and
sponsoring panels, debates and conferences to deal with
political issues of current interest to large portions of the
students.
Gibson suggested conferences on careers and
economics in his discussion with the Emerald editorial
board. It is our belief that his administration would be a con
tinuation of last year's administration.
It is very regretful that so few student leaders have come
forward this year to run. To put it rather crudely, there Is a
shortage of talent and new blood In government here.
Mary Hotchkiss advocates trying to change this predica
ment in Suite Four and it is for this reason that we support
her candidacy.
I letters
Guidelines
As the co-director of an
ASUO program, I find it un
thinkable that the student
body president is not made to
follow the same guidelines in
hiring and firing that I am. It is
my assumption that the
guidelines were implemented
so that everyone be treated
fairly and justly, and that those
in “power” could not in
discriminately do as they
please. It is scary that the one
with the most power is not
subject to the same scrutiny.
In the case of Kevin Kouns, I
find it extremely interesting
that he was fired the same day
he applied to run for ASUO
vice-president on the
“Students for a Progressive
Agenda” ticket.
In a case like this, it seems
even more important for the
ASUO president to follow the
guidelines for all program
leaders.
I am not aware of how
regularly Kouns kept his office
hours. I do know that he has
been a great help and support
to our program and women's
issues in general, and ! have
found him to be a dedicated
and dependable comptroller. It
is my hope that he will be
treated fairly and justly by our
student government.
Terri Dismuke
co-director
Women’s Referral § Resource
Representative
I strongly support Mary Hot
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chkiss and Kevin Kouns,
Students for a Progressive
Agenda’s presidential and
vice-presidential candidates in
the upcoming ASUO
elections.
Student's concerns are not
being defended at even a
minimal level by the current
ASUO president and company,
a well-meaning but whimsical
collection of yes-men and
women who are extremely effi
cient bureaucratic and ex
tremely ineffectual student
representatives.
For just one example,
recently the faculty recom
mended the elimination of our
quarter system in favor of
semesters, despite the fact
that student comments receiv
ed by SUAB were running over
whelmingly against seme
sters.
Needless to say, such a
change will have profound ef
fects on the education which
costs students so much.
Responsible student repre
sentatives would have in
sisted that students at least
have the opportunity to voice
our opinions in hearings or
campus-wide referendum.
Yet the faculty eliminated
our quarter system without a
whimper of protest at their
methods from our student
“leaders.’'
Students for a Progressive
Agenda agrees with Pres. Paul
Olum: Today’s students are
not critical enough of authori
ty (Emerald, Feb. 24). Students
leaders should not burn down
Johnson Hall, but neither
should they let Johnson Hall
or the Faculty Assembly tram
ple their concerns into dust.
We students need assertive
leaders who have new ideas
and the determination to de
fend student concerns when
they conflict with those of
faculty or administration.
Please don’t be one of the
14,000 students who don't
vote every year. Vote for a
change — Students for a Pro
gressive Agenda — on April 13
and 14. You'll be glad you did.
Sherri Schultz
sophomore, political science,
French
Efficient
The rite of spring here at the
University includes not only
robins chirping but also ASUO
candidates hawking. The most
important hawkers are those
aspiring to be ASUO presi
dent. After listening to both
presidential candidates, David
Gibson and Mary Hotchkiss,
speak and after analyzing their
platforms, I find that Gibson is
overwhelmingly more
qualified for the presidency.
Gibson’s platform reveals
efficient planning as he in
tends to streamline the ASUO
office, innovative strategy as
he is designing an investment
plan to save student’s money,
and experience as he has been
actively involved in several dif
ferent areas of student
government.
Unfortunately, Gibson has
been labeled the Greek/law
candidate and is expected to
be the traditional male
Greek/law president.
I believe Gibson’s strong
support of childcare, women’s
studies and minorities proves
him to be outside of the Greek
stereotype. Furthermore, past
experience with Gibson has
shown him to be not only well
organized, well-informed and
professional, but also
refreshingly honest and gen
uinely concerned with what is
right for aM students.
Being a former sym
pathsizer of the Students for a
Progressive Agenda, I have
found their performance this
past year disappointing. They
were uninformed on many
issues not organized in of
fices, and uncohesive as a
group. Mary Hotchkiss on the
SPA ticket unfortunately has
provided little reason to
believe she will be an improve
ment. She is vague on critical
issues and her platform offers
little more than cosmetic
changes.
I urge all students to
become involved and to vote
knowledgeably, I believe that
the informed voter will choose
David Gibson. He would most
certainly be a credit to the
students and to the University
as ASUO president.
Lisa Sandau
senior, International Studies