BY AVOLIN SEN / STAFF WRITER

If you have yet to hear, the ASA is on the verge of going through certain specific changes in terms of restructuring. For starters, they have proposed the removal of the first and second-year representatives, changing the system to one revolving around academia. The new proposed structure includes science, social science and fine arts and humanities representatives. My main question was what the current reps thought of this, so I asked Miron Nekhoroshkov, our first year representative, about his take on the matter.

I wondered why Miron wanted to run for the position of first-year rep, given that it’s a lot of pressure as a first-year to represent many voices.

“I always had the intention of running for school council, “he replied. “Anything in my high school specifically. But I never got the chance to do that because I came from a small school, and the council was shut down for almost four years. Another reason is I felt that I could adequately do the job. I felt that I talked to many individuals daily, connecting with the community, so I felt I could represent a community that I was supporting.”

I also wanted to know the best part of working for the ASA and what got him motivated for the job. “See, you can go into the office and sometimes pick up snacks. That’s a huge plus.” He joked. But overall, the best part of being a rep was how people positively reacted to him. “you’re initiating positive change. You’re getting their voices heard while meeting new people every day. When I do my office hours and sit down in the forum, I talk to some of the individuals, creating new connections, which is always a great feeling to be able to achieve something,” he said.

Miron also informed me of the several duties that come with being part of the ASA. “I’m part of the Budget Revenue Committee (BRC), which is a subcommittee within the ASA and is based around the organization’s finances, like funding clubs for activities. We provide emergency bursaries to students in need of it.” I also found out about other committees within the ASA, such as the awareness committee (in charge of Awareness Week). “There’s a lot of overlap between the community and different organizations,” he said.

We finally got to the burning question. How did Miron really feel about the proposed removal of his position? “At first I was scared because I felt like I was going to lose my position,” he responded. “But I recognized something. I have friends in other universities and they also have this system. And I just believe that this is a more adequate way to represent and allocate delegates their responsibilities, and create a form of student union, because first years were a fairly big group with a lot of different needs. A representative can take care of those needs they have had in the past, but it just makes the work easier and you could feel more comfortable talking to another person of the same faculty.”

Miron also discussed his future plans at Augustana, “I want to get more businesses interested in our university and include them. I believe it’d be better for the students so they could find us as their new target population and give us more discounts. The other thing I’m planning on changing is our merch to boost student morale.”

Miron additionally had a lot to say to future individuals considering joining the ASA: “There are always possibilities to volunteer. We have many subcommittees you can try to apply for, like the BRC, or other main committees. There’s a library committee to work with the library, there are a bunch of ways to contribute in general. Just get involved with the school.”

All in all, Miron was on board with the general restructuring; but if you think the new structure is not the best idea, feel free to drop a comment on the ASA page or let us know how you feel about it.

Dates to look forward to:

Club Fair: Wednesday, January 25th, 10 am to 2 pm.

Casino Night: Thursday, January 26th – Theme: Monte Carlo (so get your fanciest gear out, folks!)

Off-Campus Supper: Thursday, February 2nd – Off-campus students can get their free ticket at the ASA (Hurry, before they’re gone!)

Drag Bingo and Dinner: February 4th

Last class bash: March 31st

Make sure to tune in to the ASA instagram (@uofa_asa) for the latest events!

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