2008 Woodie Awards
Alternative Party
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Name: Joseph Ohler
Age: 21
Major: Psychology, with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology
School: College of Letters and Science
Year in school: Senior
Hometown: West Bend
Age: 21
Major: History, with an emphasis in Art History
School: College of Letters and Science
Year in school: Junior
Hometown: Monona
Why do you believe you should be elected SA president/vp?
Many students have expressed disappointment in the two-party system that has governed SA. Because this dichotomy fails to meet student needs, we are running to re-enfranchise the students. The only way for the students outside the SA officer positions to be represented is to directly give their opinions, a practice that Kevin and I intend to make easier through advance posting online for all students to know what SA is planning and through feedback message boards. Students will then be better able to organize for or against SA's plans before the opportunity has passed.
In February, the Student Association considered recalling Alderman Mike D'Amato. What do you think of this decision, and would you work to recall the alderman if elected?
We believe the decision was a risky, inefficient measure taken as a party campaign stunt. Evidence of this lays within the fact that SA's push to obtain recall signatures faded quickly after the likelihood of unintentionally using university fees for the recall was paired with the recall-happy history of the East Village Association. Rather than waste the students' time trying to recall D'Amato, I would work to build more grassroots support for an opposition candidate for the 2008 aldermanic election.
What, if any, departments funded by the Senate Finance Committee would you fund less, fund more or consider eliminating?
That is for the students to decide through the SFC funding request process, not something to be decided by an administration's political agenda. We will do everything we can to ensure that student organization officers know how to apply for funding and which uses of that funding are acceptable. We will do our best to prevent student organizations from falling between the cracks in the process.
Last year, candidates for SA office promised to deliver textbook rentals, but so far no significant efforts have materialized. What would you do to lower the cost of textbooks?
With early adoption already being promoted but resulting in little savings so far, the best thing we can do is promote existing textbook exchange networks. Peer-to-peer exchange has lower overhead costs than rentals, and we will make sure instructors share their textbook selections for next semester with our exchange networks to facilitate more informed trades. Ironically enough, I (Ohler) was the only SA official this year to vote in favor of or otherwise support implementing an on-campus textbook exchange program.
Do you believe diversity on campus has improved since last year, and what would you do, if elected, to improve minority representation?
The difference between this year and last is much more than negligible. We have more student organizations that focus on particular socio-cultural identities, but the recruitment, retention, graduation and satisfaction rates of under-represented students has not changed significantly. This is unacceptable but understandable in light of the senate's Oct. 3 decision to repeal support for Phase II of the Milwaukee Commitment, which continues to be watered down each year. If students want to know who supported the repeal, they may peruse the Oct. 3 senate minutes on the SA website under "Senate Information." We want to work with the Coalition for Diversity and Access and other concerned groups to promote the Phase II plan to the chancellor and to the Board of Regents.
It was revealed earlier this year that B.O.S.S. ran $225,000 in debt. What do you purpose to do in response to this problem?
One of the simplest measures would be for B.O.S.S. dispatchers to ask for what purpose the caller wishes to be picked up and to give priority access to those with mobility impairments. This would discourage unnecessary use of the program while encouraging more students to ride on the under-utilized public transit. Encouraging students to actually take the bus after they pick up their UPASS would increase the efficiency of B.O.S.S. while giving better returns on the investment of student university fees into the UPASS. We can enhance the awareness of how often the bus stops on campus by placing large posters of bus stop times around campus and perhaps having a countdown timer in front of the Union showing how many minutes are left before the next stop of a particular route.
Do you believe differential tuition should be eliminated, expanded or kept the same, and why?
Differential tuition should be decided via a referendum. By holding informational forums and then giving students an opportunity to vote on whether they want differential tuition, how much it should be and what is should be used for, the students, in the next SA election, would benefit..
What do you feel has been the biggest failure of the Student Association this year, and what would you have done differently?
We believe the worst failure of SA this year has been refusal to pass a resolution in support of a textbook exchange program. The bill I (Ohler) authored was right in front of the senate, but they shot it down.
What do you think has been the biggest success of the Student Association this year, and how would you continue to make that program successful?
We believe the biggest success SA had this year is covering up its mistakes through political spin. We will stop this practice because accountability is vital to having an accessible, responsive student government. There won't be any backlash from plans hatched in secret because we will involve non-officials every step of the way.
The Kenilworth Building will open in 2006, but housing is still slim. What would do to address the housing problems on campus?
It is possible to build a housing complex on the corner of Downer and Edgewood similar to how Purin Hall is located at the corner of Downer and Kenwood. A solid majority of students I have talked to support having housing there instead of the relatively useless flowers.
Do you support having a 24-hour Union or library, and if so, how would you propose paying for the increased costs?
No, because the costs would force either a significant increase in student fees, a cut to other services or a combination of both. A 24-hour library or Union is not something that can occur anytime soon given the funding situation of our university. The 24-hour computer lab and study lounge in the EMS Building are nowhere near their full capacities except during final exams.
SA has failed to have a functioning student court for most of the year. How would you propose improving the court?
Greater accountability of the SA president's picks for justices. We would have the SA president explain in detail why he or she chose or did not choose applicants. We would grant the speaker of the senate the ability to accept applications and forward them to the senate in the case that the president refuses to do so.
The U-Park lots along the lakefront are in danger of being lost. What would you do to address the U-Park problems and parking on campus in general?
Letters and a petition signed by those who use one or both UPARK lots would send a clear message to the Milwaukee County Board and to County Executive Scott Walker that both lots provide a critical service to the university. We must continue rally support to oppose Residential Preferred Parking (RPP) and all its variants until capital and neighborhood support can be raised to make existing parking spaces into multilevel complexes.
Neighborhood relations have been in the news recently with the state assembly and senate passage of RPP. What would you do, specifically, to help strengthen the relationship between students and the neighbors?
We want to revitalize the Student Neighborhood Association (SNA) block captain program to help resolve nuisance disputes between neighbors. By having the SNA work with other neighborhood associations to instruct residents around UWM to contact the student liaison before calling law enforcement, the "friendlier" student block captain can politely inform the "rowdier" house party students that the neighbors are getting annoyed. This program can significantly reduce the number of noise violations reported and disorderly conduct citations issued.
In what ways, specifically, would you help increase school spirit?
We would have a more responsive student government that re-enfranchises students. An empowered student body is an energetic student body, and there is no amount of expensive programming that can do better than that.
Would you push for online voting for next year's election?
Most definitely. Contrary to statements made by the current SA president, recounts would not be an issue, as UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point have conducted online voting for student government elections with fewer difficulties than they encountered with paper ballots. Excuses for not using online voting this year have ranged from registration difficulties to the slow pace at which the faculty senate is attempting online voting. The largest obstacle is affording an ID verification system that is compatible with PAWS, but SA can easily afford that if we save SA's surplus for next year instead of spend it all. There really is no excuse to not have online voting.