Retreats: Student government uses student funds for coast, Sunriver trips
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“form a cohesive vision,” through a
variety of workshops, including cam
paign planning, working with interns
and studying the history of the stu
dent fee, to name a few.
Others question the necessity of
spending money to hold retreats on
the coast and in central Oregon.
“I didn’t realize why it was at the
beach, because we never got to go
out on the beach,” said Taraneh Fos
ter, who was ASUO public relations
director during the 2003-04 school
year. “It was a long drive for not be
ing able to see anything. ”
Student Senator Jack Crocifisso said
it is probably unnecessary for student
leaders to travel so far.
“If there were better facilities closer
by, it would be more cost-effective,”
Crocifisso said.
Former ASUO Campus Outreach
Coordinator Shannon Tarvin — who
said she quit ASUO over personal dis
agreements, but still participates in
ASUO projects — said it isn’t neces
sary to go to the beach to have a re
treat, adding that it wastes money. She
said the further the retreat is from cam
pus, the less focused on business peo
ple are apt to be. Tarvin said one of the
most beneficial retreats she went on
last year was on campus.
But Petkun said it is necessary to
get away from campus.
“This is a retreat. We are retreat
ing,” he said. “Otherwise it’s impos
sible for people to dedicate a week
end and break away from other
things they’re working on.”
Petkun said going to the beach or
Sunriver allows bonding to occur be
tween staff members.
“Really what facilitates the bond
ing is being separated,” Petkun said.
“We are sleeping in the same house
together overnight, instead of having
ii
people go their separate ways after
each workshop.”
ASUO Public Relations Coordinator
Nathan Strauss agreed, saying it is the
only time the staff can work together
on strategies and missions, allowing
them to have an effective year.
ASUO Student Senator Kevin Day
said retreats allow him to avoid dis
traction and focus on the ASUO.
Student government leaders dis
agreed on whether the trips — paid
in large part with money from all stu
dents — benefit all students.
Tarvin said she didn’t think the
retreats during the 2003-04 school
year were beneficial to all University
students.
“There was an emphasis on once we
got part of our work done, we could go
play,” she said, adding that the retreat
was not a good use of student money.
Former ASUO Environmental Co
ordinator Kyle Allred said going on
retreats was a valuable experience.
“It’s nice to go someplace pretty,”
Allred said.
But, Allred said, the retreats don’t
directly benefit all students. Instead,
they indirectly benefit everyone be
cause they help the student govern
ment do a better job.
Petkun and Strauss said the re
treats do benefit all students.
“The incidental fee is for the cul
tural and physical development of
students,” Strauss said. “A retreat is
ensuring that the Executive, which is
based on student fees, has an effec
tive year and gets things done and
works for students and be effective. ”
Petkun said staff members also
watch movies, play cards and go out
on the beach on the retreats, but the
retreats are important because they
help “squash” the animosity that has
existed in past offices and help the
staff members trust each other.
“It’s important to make sure we’re
all on the same page,” Petkun said.
“If the ASUO can’t work as a team or
know what it’s doing, no work is go
ing to get done throughout the year.
“This is an intense place, and espe
cially with a bunch of young people to
gether it’s important to make sure peo
ple are aware of what’s acceptable and
what’s unacceptable,” Petkun said.
Day said the ASUO finance retreat,
a retreat for about 50 students — in
cluding student senators, Programs
Finance Committee members, EMU
Board members, controllers and mar
keting staff members — was very
beneficial. On the Sunriver retreat,
participants went over procedures
and Day said he learned everything
necessary to do his job.
“Students who go, learn,” he said.
“It helps them do a better job and
help all students when they return. ”
The ASUO is not alone among stu
dent governments in taking retreats.
The retreats for members of ASOSU,
Oregon State University’s student
government, are very similar to those
here, said Dan McCarthy, ASOSU
vice president.
McCarthy said ASOSU usually
takes two to three retreats a year. Mc
Carthy said they spent around $3,000
on their retreat to Sunriver. He said
the other two retreats are day retreats
and cost about $300 each. He said
the ASOSU trip is filled with work
shops and exercises.
“We work our asses off,” Mc
Carthy said, adding that leaving cam
pus allows his staff to concentrate on
working. “It’s the one time where our
organization can be in the same place
with unity. ”
Reaction from students on this
campus was mixed.
University graduate student Kayla
Brinkman said she thinks sometimes
organizations need to go on a retreat.
“I’m comfortable with the money
being spent, knowing that there’s
progress being made toward the
goals of the organization,” she said.
University senior Jose Bernal said
he doesn’t think the retreats are a
bad thing.
“If I worked in ASUO, I’d want my
perks,” he said, adding that although
not all students may benefit from the
retreats, it’s good that some are.
“It’s a blatant misuse of student
funds,” University senior Jared
Mason-Gere said.
But Petkun insists the retreats are
crucial to the success of ASUO and im
prove its ability to help all students.
“This is an enormous responsibility
that we’re honored to take on,” he
said. “It’s really important that people
have the background to make sure
people do it responsibly and wisely.”
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