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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ryan Frank
EDITORIAL EDITORS
KameronCole
Stefanie Knowlton
Wylie & Mitra
for ASUO Executive
The Emerald
editorial hoard sees
promise in Wylie
Chen and Mitra
Anoushiravani
As the skies change from gray
to golden and the mood goes
from sullen to sensual,
spring brings an air of re
newal. Students feel this force as they
plan for graduation, internships or
summer vacation.
In a similar spirit, it is also time to
determine the tone and shape of stu
dent government in the coming year by
voting for an ASUO president and vice
president in the spring elections.
After speaking with eight of the 11
candidates who chose to participate in
our endorsement interviews, we real
ize several candidates have new ideas,
among these are disbanding the
ASUO, building a high-powered tele
scope to inscribe the executive’s ini
tials in the moon and getting rid of the
annoying fight song that chimes from
the EMU.
■ i.;:;
We have decided, however, to endorse a more
traditional ticket with Wylie Chen for president
and Mitra Anoushiravani for vice president.
Experience, enthusiasm, a somewhat attainable
agenda, a professed commitment to ethics and
cleaning up the current imbalances of power and
personal agendas in the ASUO give Chen and
Anoushiravani the edge.
Chen, a planning, public policy and manage
ment major, has vast experience in the inner work
ings of student government. He was a student sen
ator, the ASUO outreach director and a member of
the Women’s Center advisory board. Those skills
give him insight on what is wrong in student gov
ernment, he said.
Anoushiravani is a political science and theatre
arts transfer student from Hamline University in
Minnesota. Along with student government expe
rience at her previous university, she brings en
thusiasm and a fresh perspective.
Together, Chen and Anoushiravani plan to es
tablish checks and balances on the executive’s
power by reworking the elections board’s so un
popular events, such as this year’s special elec
tion, will not become a reoccurring problem. Net
working and delegating power and responsibility
to other campus organizations for positive change
is another way Chen and Anoushiravani set them
selves apart from the other candidates.
Outreach is another strong aspect of their cam
paign. In past elections, voter turnout and overall
student involvement in government has been low.
Most students seem to not understand or care how
the ASUO affects them.
This will be a difficult problem to overcome.
Past executive candidates have promised greater
ASUO accessibility, but it continues to be one of
NickMedley/Ememld
the biggest criticisms of the executive.
To correct the problem, Chen and Anoushira
vani purpose advertisements in student publica
tions, ASUO newsletters and general publicity.
Most of the ideas have been suggested before, but
with their enthusiasm, experience and refreshing
perspective, the Emerald editorial board believes
they may be the ones to accomplish it.
We encourage all students to vote in the pri
maries on Wednesday and Thursday and in the
general elections April 21 and April 22. The only
way to make your opinion heard is to be active and
vote. Those who don’t can claim no right to com
plain about what happens in the future.
This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald
editorial board. Responses may be sent to odeQore
gon.uoregon.edu.
Letters to the Editor
Good job, exec
This year I have been impressed with the out
reach the ASUO has done to get this campus active
on student issues. How could you miss the ASUO
in the fall registering more than 3,500 students to
vote? They were on every street comer.
They came into my classes doing raps on offering
internships and a chance to get involved. I even saw
them at Taylor’s and Rennie’s registering students
to vote.
Last term I was invited, along with every other
student, to participate in a lobbying effort at the
state capitol. Students from all over the state rallied
on the capitol steps to tell legislators what we want
from them.
I had such an amazing experience and learned so
much from being up in Salem. I was impressed at
how well respected the students were by the legis
lators. Many of them kept commenting on how visi
ble University students have been all term.
Each term ASUO runs days of action offering in
formation and opportunities for students to get di
rectly involved with issues such as child care, cam
pus safety, diversity and legislative issues,
including a tuition freeze.
9 A Drannn flnUit Cr
The ASUO Executive staff is constantly working
in students’ interest to improve our university ex
perience. This year’s ASUO Executive staff has
gone out of its way to get students to talk about the
issues and get involved.
Megan Alampi
Planing, public policy and management
Hard work unappreciated
I am writing in response to the editorial regard
ing the ASUO Executive (ODE, April 4). The article
paints the executive as a joke and a failure.
I am presently in my second term of interning
with the ASUO and have had ample opportunities
to see how it works. With this experience in mind, I
would like to give a different image to the ASUO.
For one thing, it provides a place where students
can build their leadership skills. Through the in
ternship program, students can get a hands-on ex
perience in the office, which helps them improve
their public speaking, time management, event
planning and a variety of other important skills.
The ASUO has one of the strongest student gov
ernment internship programs in the nation and is a
great resource for its students.
The editorial gave the idea the ASUO hasn’t ac
complished anything, but we helped sponsor a rally
to promote a hate-free campus, put on the book
swap in an effort to save students money and have
been lobbying in Salem to freeze tuition, increase
the Oregon Need Grant, maintain student control of
fees and a variety of other issues that are important
to students.
No student government is perfect, and I can tell
you that the ASUO Executive has been working
hard for the students at the University.
I would encourage you to come out and vote on
elections day. If you want to effect change on our
campus, you need to make your voice heard.
Matthew Lieuallen
Political science
CQftHECTION
In flie April 8 article, “Controversial Emerald col
umn (fisputed," Usa Foisy’s name was spelled in
correctly. The Emerald regrets the error.
Thumbs
these upcoming
tests, students will
still advance to the
way and 28th Ave
a safety hazard to
drivers and should
be removed.