Newly elected representatives at large propose change to UCSU
The five newly elected representatives at large for UCSU Legislative Council are eager to put some of their ideas into ACTION.
Members of the ACTION Ticket are calling for UCSU funding of club sports, a new 24-hour study lounge in Norlin Library and improvements to the Student Recreation Center.
ACTION Representative Chance Heath, a junior international affairs major, said he feels UCSU should help fund club sports.
“To participate in a club sport requires significant financial commitment,” Heath said. “I think that it really hurts the diversity among the teams and it really limits some people who financially cannot afford it. The ACTION ticket wants to look at different ways to finance that.”
Another problem is weak representation for club sports within UCSU, said newly elected Representative at large Blaine Pellicore, a sophomore philosophy major.
“I feel like (club sports representatives have) just kind of been lost in the Legislative Council and I want to change that,” Pellicore said.
The ACTION ticket is interested in renovating the Rec Center and implementing domes over the tennis courts. Heath said he wants to push the Rec Center renovation in the spring when UCSU starts looking at their budget.
“We believe that our Rec Center facilities are way out of date and very insufficient for a university of our size,” Pellicore said.
“We’re (also) working with the dean of libraries to create a larger, 24-hour study lounge,” Heath said.
Heath said building the lounge near the east end of the building sometime next spring would be ideal.
One aspect of the ACTION ticket that set it apart from the RiSE and BUFFS tickets is its strong affiliation with the Greek system. Three of the five members on the ticket are members of sororities or fraternities.
“We obviously wanted a Greek influence, but we didn’t intend for it to be this Greek at the beginning,” Pellicore said. “Our original intent was definitely not to build an all-Greek ticket.”
Tri-executive Charles Gilford, a sophomore management major, said he was somewhat concerned that a strong affiliation with the Greek system may not be good for Legislative Council.
“I feel like coming from one aspect of the community is not necessarily beneficial because it is UCSU and we are here to represent the student body,” Gilford said.
Members of the ACTION ticket said they will not have a Greek bias when it comes to legislating in the UCSU.
“Although there are some Greek members on our ticket, I think our main focus is to represent the students as a whole,” Heath said. “I think that despite other affiliates, the ACTION ticket is truly representative.”
The ACTION ticket has gained support even from its former opponents.
“Obviously we’re disappointed (that we didn’t win),” said BUFFS ticket candidate Uller Doetsch, a sophomore marketing major. “(But) we’re confident that ACTION is going to do a good job. During the election I got to know Chance Heath, I got to know ACTION. They’re good legislators who will be good for CU.”
Gilford also said he feels the new representatives will be good legislators.
“I think it’s going to be a good semester,” Gilford said.
Contact Campus Press Staff writer Julie Ryan at ryanja@thecampuspress.com.
