Up for a vote: Renaming programming office a constitution change on upcoming election ballot
A constitutional amendment, petitioning a name change for the Utah State University Student Association programming office, will be included in the upcoming USUSA elections.
The name “programming” has caused confusion among officers and students alike. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a simple definition for the word “programming” is “creating computer programs.” Only looking under a full definition of “programming” reads “the planning, scheduling, or performing of a program.”
This lack of clarity between computer programming and event programming is the foremost reason USUSA is petitioning for a constitutional amendment to change the office’s name.
“When people think of the word programming, they think computers. The word has transformed today into programming computers,” said Sawyer Hemsley, current USUSA Programming Vice President. “It doesn’t attract students to get involved. I think if the name is changed to something that’s basic, simple and clear, students will be able to recognize that and know exactly where to go.”
USU is one of the last colleges to use the term programming to label the office in charge of organizing student events, as stated in the official amendment.
“It gives more clarity to the responsibilities of that position,” said USUSA president Trevor Olsen. “It will make more sense for people.”
The USUSA executive council voted unanimously in support of the amendment in a second reading on Jan. 19.
“We’ve received a really positive response with this idea of changing the programming office’s name to student events office and a student events vice president,” said Madison Maners, the USUSA Public Relations Director. “The students will get to voice their opinion when it’s on the ballot come election time.”
If the majority of students vote in support of the amendment in the upcoming USUSA elections, the programming office will be renamed to Student Events office. The vice president title will also change from Programming Vice President to Student Events Vice President.
“I feel like a lot of people think that the programming office is its own separate office aside from USUSA,” Hemsley said. “I want people to understand we are the main programmers for USUSA. We plan everything that students all want to come to. It’s not aimed just to a specific crowd or organization, it’s for the entire university.”
The programming office will continue to operate as usual if the name is changed. Currently, there are three directors over three branches of USUSA event programming: arts & lectures, activities and traditions. The Programming Vice President will still oversee these directors and the Blue Crew.
“Our office has talked about it quite a bit,” said Alex Aburto, the director of traditions for Programming. “I think it’s a very good change. Our office is really for it. We hope it happens.”
A positive or negative consequence of the name change includes rebranding the organization and all the programming office official documentation.
“If anyone is concerned about the name change, any of the officers are more than happy to sit down with them and explain the vision and spirit behind this legislative change,” Maners said.
— ashley.ruth.stilson@aggiemail.usu.edu