By:Jade Rayner
News Editor

The Associated Students of Western Oregon University began its round of yearly elections, which ran from Monday, May 1 through Friday, May 19.

Week one was filled with multiple opportunities to meet candidates, including both formal and informal meet and greet events, and a candidate question forum.

Due to a lack of student votes in the first week, elections were extended a second week and then a third week was added in order to receive as much input from students as possible.

After three weeks of campaigning, the results are in.

Jessica Freeman will be taking on the role of ASWOU President for the 2017-2018 academic year.

For those who didn’t get a chance to know her during the campaigning process, Freeman’s platform read, “I have been involved with ASWOU since my first year at Western Oregon University. I started my journey through ASWOU as a Senator, where I was elected by the Senate Body to hold the position of Senate Parliamentarian, and the chair of two separate subcommittees. During my second year within ASWOU, I was elected as the Senate President, where I took the information gained as a Senator, and put it to better use. After two years in Senate, I wanted to challenge myself even more during my third year in ASWOU, so I ran and was elected the Judicial Administrator. I have been a branch head for two years now, which gives me invaluable experience and has prepared me to run for ASWOU President. Through my three years in ASWOU, I have seen three different administrations; I have seen firsthand what tactics work and what tactics do not work for this organization. I am extremely knowledgeable and passionate about ASWOU, and with my past experiences I am the most qualified candidate for ASWOU President.”

Freeman went on to explain that, “ASWOU was cut 30 percent of their budget through the Incidental Fee Committee Process during Winter Term 2017. The next ASWOU President will have to work hard and creatively in order to allow ASWOU to function at its highest with such an extensive cut. Through my experience in both Senate and Judicial Board, I am ready to dedicate my last year at Western Oregon University to ensure ASWOU is properly overseen and assists the wide range of student populations WOU has to offer. Focusing within ASWOU, I intend to challenge the positions in cabinet whose primary functions are to produce outreach strategies. The ASWOU Executive Branch has severely suffered from a lack of outreach recently, and students need to know ASWOU exists to serve them. When looking at WOU, students for many years have voiced negative opinions about the Oregon Student Association (OSA). If elected ASWOU President, I will focus on improving the relationship ASWOU and WOU have with OSA based on student feedback and how students want their money to be spent. I am a hardworking individual who is dedicated to the improvement of ASWOU as a whole. The next academic year will be an interesting challenge, and one that I have waited three years for. I am ready to take on the honored responsibility of being the ASWOU President for the 2017-2018 academic year.”

In addition to a new president, ASWOU has also gained a new vice president. Evelyn Guzman, who in her platform stated, “I am running for Vice President because I feel like I have knowledge, enthusiasm, and skills I can contribute to ASWOU. I have been very involved since my first year at WOU and I have been learning a lot about different aspects of our community,” will now be assisting with administrative duties alongside Freeman, among other responsibilities.

The positions of ASWOU senate president, judicial administrator, senator and the Incidental Fee Committee member were filled by Lila Jones, Logan Doerfler, Roger Deleon and Eric Frey. Alex Quintana was voted into the role of justice.

In addition to filling executive, senate and judicial seats, Referendum 3.17 was voted in, 455-47. Referendum 3.17, which “adds gender expression and gender identity to the ASWOU Constitution as areas that will shall not be discriminated against,” as explained on the voter form, had already been passed in the ASWOU Senate.

In more detail, Senate Bill 3.17 reads that, “…Western Oregon University is an institution that prides itself on its student diversity…In the Preamble of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University’s Constitution, it reads ‘…do establish this Constitution and authorize the Student Government of the association thus formed, to represent the students of Western Oregon University.’ There are many students at WOU that don’t identify/express/conform to the sex they were assigned at birth.”
Now that the bill has been approved by both the senate and the student body, “…The ASWOU Constitution Article I Section 2.a.iv. shall be changed to include gender expression and identity and read: ‘Each member of the ASWOU has the right to be free from discrimination inclusive of, but not limited to, the following areas: race, color, national ancestry, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex, age, and individuals with mental and/or physical disabilities,’” according to Referendum 3.17.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu