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Campaign controversy begins ASUO election
A series of e-mails brings Oregon Action Team campaign manager Derek Nix into the spotlight
by Robert D'Andrea | News Reporter
The ASUO elections season is in full swing with two slates of candidates competing for almost every open Senate seat. In the first three days of filing, four candidates filed for ASUO president and 31 candidates filed in total for all open positions.
Filing will remain open until Friday at 5 p.m.
Thus far the campaign has mostly centered around the Rock the Yellow campaign, led by presidential candidate Kari Herinckx and vice presidential candidate Jesse Hough, and the Oregon Action Team, led by campaign manager Derek Nix. Oregon Action Team has not announced any executive candidates.
Rock the Yellow's campaign is focusing on building "student presence and voice at the table during critical decision making processes," according to its Web site.
Oregon Action Team's platform focuses on increasing professionalism in the ASUO and increasing the ASUO's outreach to campus.
Nix, currently the Senate's administrative assistant, has announced that he will run for Senate Seat 2 on the Programs Finance Committee. He said he will file on Monday.
Nix has been the subject of much controversy during the past week because of an e-mail he sent to Oregon Action Team members. The e-mail was forwarded to the Senate's e-mail list.
In the message, Nix told Oregon Action Team candidates to wear yellow, the color of their competitors, and to send letters to the Emerald with other people's names attached. He also railed against "special interests" on campus.
"That e-mail was very unprofessional and I have formally apologized to my team and ASUO members," Nix said in a phone interview Sunday.
He said he regretted ever sending the e-mail and would discourage any of his candidates from submitting letters to the editor under false names.
At last week's Senate meeting, Sen. Nate Gulley brought up the e-mail and questioned Nix' ability to continue in his job as administrative assistant.
"I didn't really know who (Nix) was except the kid in the corner," taking notes during Senate meetings, Gulley said.
"I don't even feel comfortable with him being our administrative assistant. I don't want him taking our notes. I don't trust him in his job," Gulley said. "I can't emphasize how inappropriate some of the things in that e-mail were."
Last Tuesday another unsigned e-mail was sent from the Senate e-mail account. In it, someone addressing "other senators" urged they "trim the fat from the PFC budget."
The e-mail said the PFC would spend more than it needed to "only because of the racism card being played and no one wanting to say no to that."
The e-mail was sent while most senators were at the home of Sen. Kate Jones. Whoever sent it had access to the Senate e-mail account.
"No, I did not send that e-mail," Nix said Sunday. "There's no way I would say something like that."
However, in an e-mail to the Emerald on March 5, Nix forwarded a string of angry responses to the anonymous message from senators. "And here, we have the Senate's reaction from the email I send (sic) last night. Feel free to take a look," Nix wrote.
On Sunday Nix said he did not send the anonymous e-mail but he thought he knew who did. He said senators were "playing dirty political games."
"They're trying to knock me out like they did Sara Hamilton last year," he said.
Nix also speculated that the only reason some senators were upset about his e-mail urging Oregon Action Team members to wear yellow was because he said last week's Take Back Campus forum was a campaign event for the Rock the Yellow slate.
At the event, Herinckx, Hough and ASUO President Emily McLain all wore yellow shirts.
Rock the Yellow Campaign Manager Matt Rose said the event was meant to address important issues on campus and was not a campaign event. He said Herinckx and Hough had been wearing yellow to every event they attended during the previous two weeks, and McLain always wears yellow or green to any campus event.
Rose said those in his campaign were worried about the appearance of using the event to launch a campaign.
"While we support some of the projects at that event, in no way, shape or form was that intended to be a campaign event on our behalf," Rose said.
He said McLain helped organize Take Back Campus because she was approached by members of the Sustainability Coalition. Hough, currently co-director of the Survival Center, was also organizing the event. And Herinckx was there to talk about making ethnic studies a University department, which she has been working on as the ASUO multicultural advocate, Rose said.
The other candidates for ASUO executive included the team of Sam Dotters-Katz and Johnny Delashaw. According to their Facebook group, they are running a campaign based on "fiscal responsibility" and reducing funding to OSPIRG. They also support renewing Holy Cow's contract and establishing a text message warning system on campus.
Drew Cattermole will be running for ASUO president as the Oregon Commentator's candidate. He has not announced a running mate. Nick Schultz and Cimmeron Gillespie filed to run for Executive, but according to Rose, Schultz will be running for Senate under Rock the Yellow.
Rose said Gillespie had "personal issues" that led him to abandon his run for vice president and Schultz agreed with the slate's platform and decided to join it.
rdandrea@dailyemerald.com
Filing will remain open until Friday at 5 p.m.
Thus far the campaign has mostly centered around the Rock the Yellow campaign, led by presidential candidate Kari Herinckx and vice presidential candidate Jesse Hough, and the Oregon Action Team, led by campaign manager Derek Nix. Oregon Action Team has not announced any executive candidates.
Rock the Yellow's campaign is focusing on building "student presence and voice at the table during critical decision making processes," according to its Web site.
Oregon Action Team's platform focuses on increasing professionalism in the ASUO and increasing the ASUO's outreach to campus.
Nix, currently the Senate's administrative assistant, has announced that he will run for Senate Seat 2 on the Programs Finance Committee. He said he will file on Monday.
Nix has been the subject of much controversy during the past week because of an e-mail he sent to Oregon Action Team members. The e-mail was forwarded to the Senate's e-mail list.
In the message, Nix told Oregon Action Team candidates to wear yellow, the color of their competitors, and to send letters to the Emerald with other people's names attached. He also railed against "special interests" on campus.
"That e-mail was very unprofessional and I have formally apologized to my team and ASUO members," Nix said in a phone interview Sunday.
He said he regretted ever sending the e-mail and would discourage any of his candidates from submitting letters to the editor under false names.
At last week's Senate meeting, Sen. Nate Gulley brought up the e-mail and questioned Nix' ability to continue in his job as administrative assistant.
"I didn't really know who (Nix) was except the kid in the corner," taking notes during Senate meetings, Gulley said.
"I don't even feel comfortable with him being our administrative assistant. I don't want him taking our notes. I don't trust him in his job," Gulley said. "I can't emphasize how inappropriate some of the things in that e-mail were."
Last Tuesday another unsigned e-mail was sent from the Senate e-mail account. In it, someone addressing "other senators" urged they "trim the fat from the PFC budget."
The e-mail said the PFC would spend more than it needed to "only because of the racism card being played and no one wanting to say no to that."
The e-mail was sent while most senators were at the home of Sen. Kate Jones. Whoever sent it had access to the Senate e-mail account.
"No, I did not send that e-mail," Nix said Sunday. "There's no way I would say something like that."
However, in an e-mail to the Emerald on March 5, Nix forwarded a string of angry responses to the anonymous message from senators. "And here, we have the Senate's reaction from the email I send (sic) last night. Feel free to take a look," Nix wrote.
On Sunday Nix said he did not send the anonymous e-mail but he thought he knew who did. He said senators were "playing dirty political games."
"They're trying to knock me out like they did Sara Hamilton last year," he said.
Nix also speculated that the only reason some senators were upset about his e-mail urging Oregon Action Team members to wear yellow was because he said last week's Take Back Campus forum was a campaign event for the Rock the Yellow slate.
At the event, Herinckx, Hough and ASUO President Emily McLain all wore yellow shirts.
Rock the Yellow Campaign Manager Matt Rose said the event was meant to address important issues on campus and was not a campaign event. He said Herinckx and Hough had been wearing yellow to every event they attended during the previous two weeks, and McLain always wears yellow or green to any campus event.
Rose said those in his campaign were worried about the appearance of using the event to launch a campaign.
"While we support some of the projects at that event, in no way, shape or form was that intended to be a campaign event on our behalf," Rose said.
He said McLain helped organize Take Back Campus because she was approached by members of the Sustainability Coalition. Hough, currently co-director of the Survival Center, was also organizing the event. And Herinckx was there to talk about making ethnic studies a University department, which she has been working on as the ASUO multicultural advocate, Rose said.
The other candidates for ASUO executive included the team of Sam Dotters-Katz and Johnny Delashaw. According to their Facebook group, they are running a campaign based on "fiscal responsibility" and reducing funding to OSPIRG. They also support renewing Holy Cow's contract and establishing a text message warning system on campus.
Drew Cattermole will be running for ASUO president as the Oregon Commentator's candidate. He has not announced a running mate. Nick Schultz and Cimmeron Gillespie filed to run for Executive, but according to Rose, Schultz will be running for Senate under Rock the Yellow.
Rose said Gillespie had "personal issues" that led him to abandon his run for vice president and Schultz agreed with the slate's platform and decided to join it.
rdandrea@dailyemerald.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 12
Avishai Micaiah
posted 3/10/08 @ 12:07 AM PST
While I've never depended on the ODE for articles that penetrate issues to their core, I do get tired of reading stories that are quotes strung together. (Continued…)
Jobetta
posted 3/10/08 @ 10:51 AM PST
I was going to echo what Jill said. Under Oregon's Public Records law, e-mails sent out over the Senate e-mail list are public record and are therefore not "personal. (Continued…)
Avishai Micaiah
posted 3/10/08 @ 1:06 PM PST
Thank you Jill and Jobetta for elaborating on a complex issue. I absolutely agree with the fact that this is a symptom of a larger problem within the body and is worth reporting on. (Continued…)
Tyler S
posted 3/10/08 @ 4:17 PM PST
I agree with Avishai, there should be no place for anonymity among elected officials or anywhere within an organization where individuals have chosen to represent constituents. (Continued…)
Senate alumni
posted 3/10/08 @ 9:27 PM PST
I don't like how this article implies that Mr. Nix wrote the email, or even how it strongly suggests that the email came from anyone actually in the asuo. (Continued…)
Ryan McCarrel
posted 3/10/08 @ 10:15 PM PST
Take Back Campus was not a campaign event for anyone. Several people who are running were there simply because they're involved. Not one of them mentioned that they were running. (Continued…)
Ryan McCarrel
posted 3/11/08 @ 10:12 AM PST
I just dont see why there has to be a connection between the two. Other people on other slates, that are running, were also at the event.
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