Author: Wolf Donat

Noelle Studer-Spevak believes that Portland State University needs an energy manager. One has merely to walk by the Millar Library or ASPSU office at 3 a.m. and see that all of the lights are on in order to agree with her.

At the beginning of the year, Student Body President Hannah Fisher and Student Fee Committee Chair Aimeera Flint commissioned a special task force to “investigate and provide solutions” to SALP’s apparent problems with inconsistencies in dealing with both student groups and the university.

As winter quarter nears an end, ASPSU has begun soliciting candidate applications for spring term student body elections. The deadline for submitting applications is March 20.

One of the ways the committee is dealing with the budget shortfall is by instituting budget cuts across the board for all groups. One of the most drastic of those cuts is limiting each group’s travel to two in-state trips and one out-of-state trip.

During budget request hearings last week with the Student Fee Committee, a few student groups found themselves on the receiving end of a potentially troubling question.

Student body Vice President Kyle Cady has had a lot of tasks this year, but his main goal has been to overhaul the way the legislative branch of ASPSU works.

A significant part of ASPSU’s plans for this year is increasing student advocacy opportunities in Salem and to increase student visibility at the state capital during the 2008-09 legislative session.

Now in their second term, the Associate Students of Portland State University are working on several issues raised in their platform from last spring’s election. But just how much have they accomplished, and what is still left to do?

Last weekend, Portland State was home once again to the Northwest Student Leadership Conference, a three-day event designed by, and geared toward students who would like to get involved in activities on their school campuses. Typically members of student government, fraternities and sororities, student advisers and students who would simply like to learn some new skills attend the NWSLC, which is sponsored by Portland State, the Associated Students of Portland State University, the Oregon Students Association and the Oregon Student Foundation.

Portland State students walking between Smith Memorial Student Union and Cramer Hall Tuesday and Wednesday may have noticed some tables occupied by people listening to others’ problems. Called “listening tables,” the space was set up in the South Park Blocks to allow students a place to express their opinions freely, according to Dr. Martha Balshem, special assistant to the president for diversity in the Office of Diversity and Equity.

For the second year in a row, members of the Portland State debate team squared off against two members of the National British debate team at an event held Friday in Smith Memorial Student Union. As part of a nationwide tour, British national debate members Ed James and Derek Doyle stopped at PSU to engage in debate with members of ASPSU, including president Hannah Fisher, as well as members of the university debate team.