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Perspectives
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sarah Kickler
EDITORIAL EDITOR
Mike Schmierbach
NIGHT EDITOR
Carl Yeh
m iH
vote Krieael, Labavitch for ASUO Executive
This year’s elections have
given us seven qualified
candidates, hut one pair’s
ideas seem the strongest
TT- f nothing else, after inter
viewing all seven candidates
for ASUO president and vice
■A. president, those of us on the
editorial board are probably the
most informed voters on campus.
We spent between 45 minutes
and an hour interviewing each
of the slates, and we learned
something surprising. Contrary
to last year, all of this year’s can
didates are serious about these
positions. We’ve come a long
way from promises of building
beer fountains and reuniting
Van Halen.
All of the candidates expressed
concern over rising tuition and
out-of-control incidental fees, and
most of them talked about ad
dressing these concerns at a local
and statewide level. Other popu
lar issues included bringing con
certs to Mac Court, increasing stu
dent involvement in the ASUO
and “utilizing existing campus re
sources.”
Out of all of the catch phrases
and pie-in-the-sky goals that in
evitably accompany a campaign
such as this one, there emerged
one pair who was prepared with
concrete plans to make a differ
ence as soon as they step into the
ASUO office. These candidates
are Tamir Kriegel and Greg Labav
itch.
That’s not to say the other can
didates didn’t have some feasible
ideas. We liked Kelli McCartan’s
idea of a monthly forum at which
students, faculty and administra
tion could discuss current issues
together. Geneva Wortman and
Morgan Cowling’s resolution to
oppose expansion of the River
front Research Park and support
AR EMERALD EDITORIAL
"I
■----.———■——-y- ~ ^ • -» .a?-. mmm
MATT GARTON/Emerald
ASUO Presidential candidate Pamir Kriegel (right) and his running mate, Greg Labaintch (left).
the green spaces in the area really
appealed to us. And we agreed
with Mark Hemingway and Far
rah Bostic's fiscally responsible
idea to offer credits instead of
stipends for many ASUO posi
tions.
But only Kriegel and Labavitch
offer a platform that we support
in whole, and only these two
back up their ideas with suffi
cient specific plans for imple
mentation.
If elected, Kriegel and Labav
itch plan to refocus the ASUO Ex
ecutive on student programs,
rather than on the personal cru
sades of the president and vice
president. They want the ASUO
to remain in the background,
putting programs and student ac
tivities in the spotlight.
One way they plan to do this is
by using the ASUO fund-raising
coordinator to help raise money
for programs that need it rather
than for the already well-funded
Executive, an idea we support
wholeheartedly. They also plan to
physically rearrange the ASUO
office to give programs access to
the computers and other re
sources the Executive has former
ly kept to itself.
They had some plans for im
proving the campus parking situ
ation as well, but unlike past can
didates who advocated
unachievable solutions (read:
parking structure), Kriegel and
Labavitch aren't looking to create
new parking spaces.
They want to inform students
of already existing but not well
known spaces, and they hope to
make some faculty parking avail
able to students after hours. They
also plan to negotiate with OPS to
relabel some metered spaces, al
lowing students with permits to
park there without having to plug
the meter.
In addition, Kriegel and Labav
itch hope to improve the ASUO’s
relationship with University ad
ministration by maintaining open
lines of communication, rather
than operating in secrecy and
suddenly bursting out with a sur
prise campaign. We agree that
their communicative tactic is
more likely to secure the adminis
tration’s support of student is
sues.
Finally, Kriegel and Labavitch
are the most qualified set of can
didates for this position. While
both have experience in different
facets of student government, we
believe their involvement, partic
ularly Labavitch’s, in diverse ac
tivities apart from the ASUO will
allow them to not only bring a
wide range of outside contacts to
the Executive, but also to see the
University and student govern
ment from a variety of perspec
tives.
In our opinion, this, not a re
sume full of past government in
volvement, is the most important
qualification for the people who
will facilitate student programs
next year.
Vote Tamir Kriegel and Greg
Labavitch for the 1998-99 ASUO
Executive. We’re going to.
This editorial represents the opinion
of the Emerald editorial hoard.
Responses may he sent to
ode<Boregon. uoregon edu.
LITTERS TO THE EDITOR
McCartan makes statement
Due to an elections publications error,
presidential candidate Kelli McCartan’s
statement was not able to be run in the
1998 ASUO Voter's Guide. Her statement
is printed below:
You could be the next ASUO vice presi
dent.
Every day, thousands of students file
through our campus. There are people of
varying ages, ethnic backgrounds, cul
tural environments and beliefs. But are
these students aware of their ability to
share in the leadership of our Universi
ty? In classes at the UO, I have been in
volved with students that are concerned,
passionate, innovative, articulate and
strong leaders. However, even though we
have a large number of leaders on cam
pus, the general student population is
not currently represented in the ASUO.
We must take ownership of our school
by utilizing the talents of the general stu
dent population to enhance our Univer
sity pride. Join me in a campaign to in
crease diversity in University leadership
by drawing from different facets of our
community to expand this needed repre
sentation.
The UO is built upon a foundation of
leaders: leaders in the classroom, leaders
on the athletic field, leaders in artistic en
deavors and leaders in community activi
ties. Let us draw on this existing leader
ship and plug students in to the ASUO. I
am running without a vice president with
the goal of promoting such outside student
leadership. If elected, I will personally in
vite the student body to engage in a post
election interview process which will de
termine the next ASUO vice president.
With my qualifications of a year on Stu
dent Senate and a year on ASUO Execu
tive staff, I would like to see a new, quali
fied individual fill this vice president
position.
You choose. Kelli McCartan for ASUO
president.
Christy Lorenzini
ASUO Elections Coordinator
and the ASUO Elections Board
Vote Wortman/Cowling
I just want to say that Max Lee Kwai is
right. I agree with his letter that there is
only one candidate to vote for in the up
coming elections for ASUO president.
That candidate is Geneva Wortman.
She is one candidate for ASUO Execu
tive who runs only because she cares
about students; she is the candidate who
is running because she knows that in or
der to have a healthy campus, we need to
have low tuition, a diverse campus and a
social campus.
The student body needs a university
with low tuition so people from all back
grounds and all economic classes have the
chance at a higher education. The access
issue also comes into play in the Univer
sity’s responsibility toward diversity be
cause in order for all cultures to contribute
to campus, all cultures must have healthy
representation. And because universities
can't be all work and no play, we need to
have a heavy dose of fun — which means
concerts on campus at discounted student
prices.
Geneva Wortman has the experience to
know what students need, and she has the
dedication to make things happen for stu
dents.
So in every way, Max is right: Geneva
is the best candidate for ASUO presi
dent.
The only thing that Max forgot was that
Geneva is a team player, and one of the
things that makes her great is the wonder
ful relationship that she has with her run
ning mate, Morgan Cowling. Max made it
sound like a one-woman show, but really,
it’s a group effort.
Morgan Cowling has the same dedica
tion, the same experience and the same
student focus that Geneva has. Together,
they make the best ASUO president/vice
president candidate team in years.
So vote for effective leadership. Vote
Geneva and Morgan for ASUO Executive.
Brian Fitzgerald
Eugene
Thanks, Max
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank Max Lee Kwai for his ringing en
dorsement of my candidacy for ASUO Ex
ecutive. At first I was a bit bewildered by his
letter to the editor because no particular
candidate was named. I was tempted to
think that perhaps the letter was meant to
endorse Kelli McCartan because Max hap
pens to be her campaign manager. But then
I thought to myself, “Mark, surely no person
would be so lacking in dignity that they
would reduce themselves to such a level of
sycophancy” — especially given the fact
that the letter was not up front about the au
thor’s relation to McCartan. So, naturally, I
concluded through the simple process of
elimination, that the only person who could
have caused another person to put pen to
paper so magnanimously was myself.
I do, however, want to clear up one
thing. Max refers to me by saying, “She is
truly the most caring person I have ever
met.” For the record, I would prefer that
people keep referring to me by my male
persona. Although my therapist has en
couraged me to experiment with being a
woman (recreationally and on weekends),
as of yet I am undecided as to whether to
begin the hormone treatments, let alone
book a passage to Sweden where they will
perform the lopitoffofme.
Mark Hemingway
Editor, Oregon Commentator