With the threat of impeachment looming over Associated Students of NMSU President Emerson Morrow and a flurry of rumors around the allegations of misfeasance summarized in Resolution 49, Morrow has no intentions of resigning.

The turmoil in ASNMSU’s ranks comes with Senator Alexandria Beatty, from the College of Business, and Senator Marcus Sanchez, from the College of Arts and Sciences, introducing the legislation that could lead to Morrow’s impeachment.

Morrow released a statement on March 12, outlining his regret in attending the ASNMSU Supreme Court’s Professional Symposium and a Senate Rules Committee Meeting after having two drinks within an hour-and-a-half time period at Pete’s Patio earlier in the day. Morrow specifies that the Symposium had already concluded at the time he made an appearance and that he was not “on the clock.”

“Being present at either of these events was a mistake. After having even one drink, I should have avoided an appearance at any event that could be mistaken for me acting in any capacity other than that of a private student,” Morrow said in the statement.

The circumstances surrounding the impeachment have been fuzzy and the rumors that have been circulating about Morrow have been wide and varying. There are two sides to every story, and in between those is where the truth can be found.

“I started hearing all of these reports of what happened that just greatly exaggerated it, that I had not only went to the Professional Symposium while it was going on but addressed the crowd, which at no point happened,” Morrow said.

Morrow pointed out that no one in ASNMSU came to him to ask for his version of the events that transpired nearly a month ago and that if it were the other way around, he would have gone to them before dropping an impeachment onto their lap.

“I would have gone about this a very different way. If I truly wanted accountability for someone, I think there are some a lot more efficient and professional ways to do that rather than to fuel the fire with rumors,” Morrow said.

According to Morrow, the senators bringing these charges forward never went to him to ask for his side of the story. Morrow did not even learn about the resolution until the next day, pointing out that the Round Up was aware before he was.

“If they were truly concerned about accountability, then they could have introduced this without going to media, or to councils before even talking to me. That’s not a way to get accountability, that’s a way to drag someone’s name through the mud,” Morrow said.

Morrow said that in talking to students and faculty, they recognized the actions of those senators as “petty politics.” The senate and executive are meant to provide a checks and balances for each other and that can cause tensions according to Morrow.

“It does seem very hypocritical,” Morrow said. “Given the way that senators choose to behave.”

Morrow put an emphasis on the way that senators have conducted themselves, and that if the new standard for ASNMSU is what they are placing on him then the senate should live to those ideals as well.

“I think that if this does go through then there should be a number of impeachment resolutions going through for senators,” Morrow said. “If that’s the new standard that they want to set for the student government than alright, that’s their prerogative.”

The allegations and rumors have been tough for him and his family, Morrow said, likening it to an enormous weight on his shoulders. He emphasized that situations like these do not only affect one person.

“To know that there are people out there who are questioning my integrity, to face that and to look them in the eyes anyway has been an opportunity to prove that I am going to stand up when people are being treated unfairly whether it’s me or anyone else,” Morrow said.

According to Morrow, juggling life as a college student and employee as well as dealing with a personal life and family life can lead to mistakes. He said he believes that a great measure of understanding for each other could have solved a lot of these issues.

“Every second, every minute that I spend on this and that the senate spends on this, is time and energy that could be better spent on more lasting things that are actually going to help students,” said Morrow.

There are a few duties the acting student body president must do before the newly elected, Evan Connor, takes his place in just a few short weeks.

Morrow said he chose to fight after talking to NMSU students, faculty and alumni who encouraged him not to resign so that he could provide a smooth transition to his successor as well as to push through the issues he knows the best at the student fee review board.

Receipts provided by Morrow from his time with another student at Pete’s Patio proved that he did in fact have two drinks: two Pete’s Tin Cans.

Morrow said he does not know how it could have appeared that he was heavily intoxicated from two drinks but admitted that he is on anti-depressants and that mixing the two could have created that effect.

A video was apparently taken of Morrow by a senate member, but he believes it is not indicative of the claim that he was inebriated. Nevertheless, the footage could be a deciding factor for senators on Thursday when they will vote on Morrow’s impeachment.

“I want everyone to know that I am sorry. My actions were not up to my standards or the standards of many others. I think there’s still a whole lot of good that I can get done before May,” Morrow said.