The Interview
My Mcnita Husband
As you know we have just
elected a new ASUO president
and vice-president. The next
year seems to be promising one.
Moth Andy Clark and Scott
WycofT seem to be committed to
student issues and want to be
accessible to the student body.
Some of their goals and expecta
tions were revealed in an inter
view with them on May 10.
What arc your goals for next year?
Clark: The primary goal for next
year is to decrease apathy at
student polls. Historically the
voter turn out has been small, 10
1 2'( isn't representative of the
student body. I am glad that it
went up to 21% this year. I think
I would like to get it up to the
national average which would be
increasing it to about another
28';;. Some ways Scott and 1
propose to do that is actually
putting voting booths in the resi
dents halls while carrying out a
certain degree of voter education
throughout the year. And to go to
different organizations and mar
ket student government as you
would anything else.
Are there any other goals that you
have for next year?
Clark: Yes, continued support for
childcare. Efforts that have been
made in the past starting with
Steve Nelson have made terrific
strides. The hearings last night
and this afternoon will bring
forth a lot of good information
Scott and I can work from. Proba
bly with our concentration being
in needs assessment data spon
Puge 4
sored by the administration for
parent students. It hasn’t been
done; it has to be done. I was
surprized it wasn’t it is a matter
of red tape and bureaucracy but I
think we can slowly cut through
it. Because there it a need to have
parent student statistics shown
so we actually know what to do.
What do you see as the future of
the IFC process on campus?
Clark: The IFC process on cam
pus well if it ain’t broke don’t fix
it. Thechangesin the IFC have to
come through the polls and
through the voters. I respect fully
and completely that it is an
elected body by the students to
provide for the cultural and
physical development of the uni
versity. No specific plans for the
IFC they are a sovran body they
make their decisions as that.
They make their decisions on the
full information they have. I lope
fully they will have full informa
tion. And any way we can aid
them with budget requests we’re
there. I think if people want
changes in the incidental fee
committee it has to come at the
polls and in the composition of
that committee.
Wychoff Beyond that I think I
would like to develop some type of
checks and balances beyond the
presidential veto. In particular,
using the student senate and
writing it into the constitution
and let the IFC have more of a
checks and balance system as
any other governmental system.
We all have to go through certain
areas to get work accomplished.
And it seems that students in
general are unsatisfied. There
has been a lot of talk and specific
decisions. We need to think of
ways beyond just the voting to let
students feel that they have a
little more at stake in the fee
process. One possible alternative
is to give the student senate not a
veto power but the ability to over
see some of the decisions. By no
means do we have anything spe
cific in mind, but just a govern
mental system like where the
house checks and regulates the
senate.
Clark: It’s a powerful committee.
They control over $4 million dol
lars. When seven individuals
have control over $4 million dol
lars that is a rare opportunity. I’d
like to see a more checks and
balances system,I don’t want to
see a dichotomy anymore be
tween the ASUO and the IFC.
And I want people to understand
that the ASUO is its own office.
We receive our funding from the
IFC and in no way are we con
nected except for my right to veto
an IFC decision. For which I
won’t foresee exercising this in
any case unless I do see a blaring
discrepancy. And if I do it will be
called upon. If I don’t feel com
fortable that there is sufficient
information for a large budgeting
requestor if I don’t see a question
for that need yet—I will veto.
There is a problem with low-in
come housing and family housing
for students. What do you see as
your role in making these situ
ations better?
Clark: The housing task force
was started to hear testimony.