Although it is not required for ASUO senators to hold their regular Wednesday meeting during week ten of the school term, all but one senator were present at the meeting.
Confirmations
Two students appeared for confirmation to the Elections Board. First was Nicholas Seymour, a student who had served in the ASUO Programs Finance Committee for two years. Second, was Thomas Tullis, a student who ran for ASUO president last year as a freshman. During his campaign, Tullis was arrested for illegally obtaining communications.
Senator Andrew Lubash made it immediately clear he was going to vote “no” for both candidates.
“I fundamentally believe that we should not put people on the Elections Board who have been involved in the ASUO in the past,” Lubash said.
Seymour was the first to speak before the senate, “We need to make it clear that running for the ASUO is not a position that you take up and then decide to leave,” Seymour said.
“I encouraged him to apply because I saw that there was experience needed in the Elections Board. The Elections Board is very young as it is standing right now,” Senator Yelin Oh said. “He has read and interpreted legal language before.”
Oh and other senators said they would abstain from voting for his confirmation. Seymour was confirmed by the senate.
Tullis told the senate that he aims to improve awareness of the election and campaigns running.
“Increasing voter awareness will provide more oversight in elections,” Tullis said.
Tullis was not confirmed in a 6-9-2 vote.
Special requests
The senate also heard eight “time-sensitive” special requests. There was some hesitancy concerning a request of Rotaract. The special request was for $2,000 to fund its third annual service trip, which is to take place in San Francisco during spring break, and will include activities such as volunteering at a children’s museum and educating children at a ranch. The group held bake sales during the term to fundraise for the trip.
“This is a good opportunity for the University of Oregon to make our name for well-known, and show that our student body is willing to put time and effort into community service.” said the group’s spokesperson Alejandro Garcia.
Senators Lubash, Will Iversen and Connor Lasken were some of the those who spoke against funding the request.
“When I was a freshman, I said that I didn’t think funding spring break trips were an appropriate use of the I-fee,” Lubash said. “I think a lot of what you can do is be in the local Eugene community, in terms of leadership involvement.”
Oh was in favor of funding the trip, “If you know the nature of what Rotaract does, this is the epitome of it. I don’t want to take away from that.”
Funding for the full request was not passed; however, partial funding of $1,000 was passed. The senate passed a motion granting $500 to the group.
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