<html dir="ltr"><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style id="owaTempEditStyle"></style><style title="owaParaStyle"><!--P {
MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px
}
--></style>
</head>
<body ocsi="x">
<div style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; DIRECTION: ltr; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: x-small">
<div></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma">Dear Colleagues:</font></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="tahoma"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma">I wish to make a quick intervention regarding who qualifies to be a member of the African Students Union and how it reflects on eligibility for election into the Executive Body. Per Ohio University
rules and regulations governing the registration and operation of student organizations, it is unacceptable to have a student organization with exclusive membership. What this means is that every student organization is required by law to be open to everyone
interested in joining. No one can be denied membership on the basis of race, national origin, religion, age, etc. In the same way, it is not permissible for a student organization to have in its constitution, laws which discriminate against other people. For
example, a group cannot take away a member's right to contest in an election because of racial considerations. Any group which does that could be suspended in accordance with Campus Involvement Center rules and regulations.</font></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma"> It is precisely for this reason that every student group is required to submit a copy of its constitution and by-laws to Campus Involvement Center as part of the registration/re-registration process
which is required to be done every academic year. The purpose is for them to approve every group's constitution. The current ASU constitution clearly conforms to this "open access membership requirement" and that is why the group is still existing as a registered
student organization. </font></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma">Our constition does not bar any individual from contesting an Executive position on the basis of race, or any other consideration, except with being a member in good standing and being a registered
student of Ohio University. Concluding on my rather long intervention, I would say that the African Students Union, though might seem to be exclusive to Africans because of the name, it is REQUIRED to and it IS indeed open to every interested individual. And
the right to contest or hold an Executive position CANNOT and it IS not discriminatory. Let us take this into consideration in the election process. .</font></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma">Thank you.</font></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="tahoma"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="tahoma">Regards,</font></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="tahoma">Abobo Kumbalonah.</font></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>