2001-02 Elections Coverage
Bret Jacobson & Matt Cook
The Oregon Commentator interviewed Bret Jacobson & Matt Cook on 02/18/01.OC: In ten words or less, how would you describe your campaign?
BJ: Might I have a minute, just to think about it?
OC: I believe "Might I have a minute, just to think about it" is already ten words.
BJ: Competency... moderation...
OC: I was thinking more along the lines of a sentence to describe yourself.
BJ: Because we're competent and moderate.
OC: You have five more words.
BJ: We'll end the WRC.
OC: Diversity is always a big issue on campus. What is your position on diversity and how would your administration handle the issue?
BJ: Diversity is pretty much a part of this campus, so we'll continue the efforts that are already going, but the main way we're going to improve diversity is by trying to get ideas out from all sides, not just the culturally popular sides. And we're going to do that by getting out the voices of student groups, like the College Republicans and College Democrats and things like that. By setting up an in-house ASUO PR hub that students can use to get out their message.
OC:What is your position with regard to the funding of OSPIRG?
BJ: Well, it's hard to argue with the basic fundamentals of what OSPIRG wants, which is clean air and clean water. And it's good that they have some presence on campus, but I don't think that without full disclosure of what they use their money for there's any reason to fund them right now. Full disclosure is way too important.
OC:Every year, candidates for ASUO office contend that student government can and will serve the majority of students on campus. Every year, this never actually happens. Is this possible, or is it just an empty promise that everyone makes?
BJ: Student government can only work for the students who know how to take advantage of it. So by making more students aware of what it can do, it will start increasing its effect on the student population, but it can't reach all students all the time.
MC: Bret and I are both two pretty average students when it comes down to where we are in our education. I think we represent a vast majority who don't really know what the ASUO -- we know what the ASUO does but don't feel that it's very accessible. And I think that puts us in a really good position to help out the average student in becoming involved. We can relate to that.
OC: What efforts would you make to control the costs of attending the university associated with tuition and incidental fees?
BJ: It would be nice to say that we could just cut incidental fees dramatically, but that's still not the majority of where student money comes from. It is in the form of tuition, so the best and only real way of keeping the cost down is to work with the state to find a different funding model because right now the state is only the third highest source of income, so you basically have to find a brand-new funding model that some faction in Oregon helps pay for tuition. That's realistically the best thing we could do. And... bring back Phil.
MC: It also helps to keep in touch with the alumni, not just Phil Knight, but the alumni in general. I think a good deal of the alumni are ready and willing and able to help out financially and support the university in general; that could really help us keep tuition cost low. There's also other things we can do up in Salem as far as lobbying. I mean, there's only so much weight the ASUO can carry, but just having a presence up there and having our voice heard, to get another tuition freeze going is one way to do it.
OC: We're through with our questions, so this is your forum to tell us what you're going to do with your administration next year.
BJ: Basically, the main theme that we're trying to carry is having the average student perspective back in student government, so that really extreme people don't control student government anymore. We've recently had problems with being informed by the MCC [Multicultural Center] about their debates. They apparently didn't want us in there, and the ASUO office isn't always very helpful, so we want the average student with the occasional politically incorrect idea to feel they at least have the chance to talk. So that's how it starts, and we do that by having a PR hub. It's a new thing, won't cost much money at all, but it gets out the student voice. [We'll find] PR and advertising students come in and consult with these groups and have it at a central location so they don't each have to figure out what these tactics are.