During the second to last meeting of the school year, the Associated Students Council of San Diego State voted to approve a controversial government restructuring concept meant to downsize student representation and decentralize power away from student organizations.
A.S. President Grant Mack removed himself as chair and passed his gavel to Executive Vice President Sean Kashanchi, which gave Mack the right to vote in favor of his own memo outlining the restructure.
“As the chair of A.S. Council, I have the authority to pass the power of facilitating to another member … to remove myself from an issue that may conflict with my ability to chair in an unbiased manner,” Mack wrote in an e-mail.
The new structure changes the way student organizations are represented so there is no direct liaison between the groups and the new A.S. Board of Directors.
Currently there is representation in A.S. for groups such as the Jewish Student Union and Asian Pacific Student Alliance, but in the restructured version, the groups would be consolidated into the Multi-Cultural Caucus Board with no guaranteed direct representation on the Board of Directors.
Key officials within the council say the restructure is meant to streamline the legislative process, making it run more smoothly. The changes are being developed to protect the policies that oversee facilities such as the Aztec Recreation Center.
Policies that deal with student organization funding can be changed, overturned or ignored.
Restructuring A.S. is also an attempt to model the student governing body into a corporate structure more befitting the multi-million dollar corporation that it resembles.
“When it comes down to it, we do have to realize that A.S. is a business,” newly elected Vice President of Finance and former Daily Aztec employee Rob O’Keefe wrote in an e-mail. As a business we need to find ways in which we can be the most effective with our time, energy and actions.”
The vote
The vote took place on April 27 in Montezuma Hall after a stream of students from Greek and cultural organizations addressed A.S. during the public comment portion of the meeting. Representatives from the United Sorority & Fraternity Council and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan asked the council to delay voting until the fall.
“We’re against the currently proposed A.S. restructure and we would like for (the Council) to table this issue for next year’s council so we as an organization can further develop a more inclusive and diverse plan,” USFC Vice President Teresa Watson said. “We do not feel confident in our representatives to vote on something that is not concrete.”
M.E.Ch.A. President Laura Moreno spoke out in opposition of the restructuring plan because it combines all culturally based student organizations into one representative who would be overseen by a diversity commissioner appointed by the new board of directors.
“As cultural organizations, it doesn’t mean that we don’t want to change,” Moreno said. “We do want to change.
“We think that the current A.S. representation is not what truly represents all students and that’s why we do want (the A.S. Council) to hear that voice, a different voice on campus.”
M.E.Ch.A. Council Rep. Washington Navarrete’s motion to table the vote failed though, and the council continued to debate the original motion spiritedly.
The background
Last September, Mack formed an ad hoc committee consisting of only A.S. Council members and A.S. Government Affairs Executive Director Dan Cornthwaite. They began “drafting plans and a concept of an enhanced student governing and corporate structure,” Mack wrote.
Throughout the course of the school year, the committee met every week on Friday afternoons, according to committee member and College of Arts and Letters Council Rep. Krista Parker. She wrote that the meeting dates and times were announced throughout the year at A.S. Council meetings and were always open to the public.
Two weeks before the April 27 vote, Mack sent out a memo to the A.S. Council that read:
“…the A.S. Council has the sole authority to vote in favor of moving forward with the proposed A.S. government restructuring concept as presented in the documentation attached to this memorandum. By approving this memorandum and the attached documentation the A.S. Council is voting in favor of the proposed A.S. government restructuring concept and authorizes the A.S. staff and succeeding A.S. Executive Officers and Council members to begin drafting specifics and detailed information to implement the proposed A.S. government restructuring.”
Included within the body of the memo is a detailed draft of the organization of committees, sub-committees and councils, all of which are restructured. A diagram is attached to it outlining a new hierarchy.
Still, there were many questions posed to the committee by A.S. Council members who weren’t sure exactly what they were voting on. They asked if it was a concept or the specific plan outlined in the diagram. Mack maintained that the vote was for the concept.
The motion passed 18-16-2.
Seven members of the ad hoc committee who helped develop the plan outlined in the memo voted. Four voted in favor of it, including Mack and Parker and three voted against it. The two abstentions that could have tied the vote came from InterFraternity Council Rep. Eric Anderberg and College of Engineering Rep. Christopher Grajo.
The controversy
Sociology graduate student Susan Phay and physics freshman Trevor Kerchner have some differences, but both admit to not being very involved in student organizations. Kerchner is a physics major and Phay is studying sociology. One is just beginning his college career and the other has maneuvered her way past undergraduate work to specialize in a field of study that ignites her interest.
Another similarity between them is that neither has received notification from their respective college representatives and both wish they had.
“I only hear about them if they’re running for election,” Phay said. “I don’t feel any sort of connection to them or to A.S. really, even though they do a lot for our campus.
“Maybe if they found a way to keep us updated, maybe it would be different.”
Parker and fellow CAL Rep. Tom Rivera pointed to the electronic newsletters sent to each CAL student, the college’s website and Facebook as means through which CAL students could have found out about the process of restructuring.
“Every student has the opportunity to come to our council and discuss issues that we’re facing as students,” Parker wrote. “As representatives, we do as much as we can to reach out to our students, however, students have to want to know as well.”
College of Engineering President Danielle Gilbert also pointed to the fact that students involved in groups such as M.E.Ch.A. are doubly represented on the A.S. Council: once by their college representative and once by their student organization. “This isn’t fair,” she wrote.
“(The) current structure does not allow for the best possible representation of the students at SDSU,” Gilbert wrote. “(It) both over and under represents different groups of students.
“I don’t feel that the general student body knows that A.S. is restructuring but I also don’t feel that they have an idea of how A.S. is structured now or the issues with the current infrastructure,” he continued. “I believe that the proposed changes will allow us to better communicate with the student body.”
Moreno has asked A.S. to inform the entire student body about their intention to change its structure. But members of the ad hoc committee asserted that they have already sufficiently informed the A.S. Council, which is then supposed to bring the information to its constituents.
Mack said everyone was invited to get involved. Some did, but didn’t continue attending the ad hoc committee meetings.
“Decisions are made by those that show up,” Mack said during the council meeting.
O’Keefe commented that a current problem is that many students do not involve themselves in student government.
“Just look at the last election,” he said. “To bring the subject of restructuring to the student body would just scare people and cause misunderstandings between the students and A.S. that are unnecessary. For these reasons, I think its best that decisions about internal operations are kept behind closed doors.”
Kerchner said even though he isn’t active in any student organization, he would be interested in attending meetings about restructuring if he knew when they were happening.
“I think that everyone’s group should have a say in (the A.S. Council). Everyone should have a representative from their group so that everyone’s opinion gets in there,” Kerchner said.
Wow this is BS. How can you classify all Cultural Organizations under one vote??? Being a Chicano in MEChA is totally different from being in the Jewish Student Union. Yes A.S. is a business but we can’t forget where the funds come from! Students! So be ready for Fall, because WE WILL have a STRONG Voice!
Yo, O’keefe…
You’re a terrible liar. You should be on the look out for a new career.
How’s ballroom dancing sound? Or what about bowling? Whatever you do, get out of politics. You’re gonna get swallowed up…
bk50
Yo BK50,
Does your name stand for a new food item at Burger King?
How does your ass feel since you got out of jail for that felony charge of $10 grand to the campus?
Looks like O’keefe is pretty good at politics since he won right? Oh wait, didn’t you run as well?
I forgot, please remind me……Did you get disqualified?
Your a joke and your music is even worse.
You must work for the paper OR you must be really good friends with somebody within the paper because:
YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO SAY S***.
YOU ARE ALSO THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO MAKE REFERENCES TO HOMOSEXUALITY.
Who’s running the show here? Not the Daily Aztec, that’s for sure…
I haven’t used any curse words on this blog, nor have I made any references to homosexuality. But yet, my comments are removed because they are “inappropriate?” Thanks for giving me something new to talk about Mr. Anonymous! Let’s get together over coffee sometime. I’d love to tell you more about my time in jail. What do you say? You’re not scared are you?
ooooooo watch what you say 50 joke, you don’t want a harassment charge on you now do you?
I hear jail isn’t as good the second time around.
Who am I harassing? I’m just havin’ some fun =p None of these people have the balls to talk to me face to face. I enjoy pointing that out. I’d love to meet, in a sane manner, over coffee, with any of these jerks. Let’s see how well they do talkin’ stank when I’m sittin’ right in front of their faces…
Take him up on the offer coward. The school and police have nothing but speculation which is circumstantial. They were trying to get him to admit to something he didn’t do. Now they don’t know where to go with it and they look like morons. Just like Anonymous does. Probably the writer of this down syndrome article.
“Tie votes abstain in vote to overhaul AS”????????
Does that make sense to anyone?
Sandy, please become a better journalist and while you are trying to do that please help the rest of the people at the joke Aztec as well.
As a journalist you should interview people who actually know what the subject is and what is going on, not random people off the street.
Also, it is not the responsibility of the government to promote things happening within it, that is the responsibility of the media (you). Do you think the U.S. Government goes out of there way to promote a bill that they will be voting on soon? NO!
Realize that the one to blame is you and your so called “student paper”.
Keep trying and hopefully change will be seen.
To the person who didn’t have the sand to post a name alongside their failed attempt at criticism,
I wonder, did you read the story? Your opinion becomes a little shaky right when you asked what the headline means. In the story, and the accompanying info-graphic, there is direct reference to the vote passing by two votes, and there being two people who chose to abstain. By ample precedent and definition makes it a controversial vote.
*(Abstain means didn’t vote, maybe not knowing this word created your confusion?)
More important than your lack of knowledge in the English language though is your later statement on publicity. Are you really saying that our student government should not publicize a massive overhaul of their policies that directly affect the student’s they represent?
Honestly, your comments are more naive and ridiculous than those of bUk FiDy. At least he seems to have read the stories and understands basic concepts, despite disagreeing with everyone.
Bill Crotty
P.S.@Omar and Laura, I applaud those students like yourselves who make it their duty to stay informed. Anyone who disagrees with this, or any policy regardless of the institution, should make the effort to do something about it.
I believe it is the responsibility of the government to announce what they are up and the changes they want to make! And if people are not informed then they did not do their job!
So…thank you Sandy for going to the meeting and bringing it up in the Daily Aztec. You did your job as part of the media. If it were not for you then people would not have been aware at all what happened during that AS meeting.
And i agree with Omar…i rep is not enough…same for any org or college if it were to happen like that as well… there needs to be change but we were there (cultural orgs, frats, and sororities) to say we want change but the plan was not the way to go…
This doen’t mean though we are done with the issue…
Please forgive me, sean. (edited for inappropriate material). Posting comments to student newspaper columns helps me vent my anger. Please understand.
Deleted my last one huh? There is a fake working for the the Daily Aztec pretending to be me. He/she deleted my last comment. Better yet, it’s the whole paper that is conspiring against me.
You people are unbelievable- bunch of snotty nosed brats, just like the A.S. Government. Oh but wait, I just realized, you’re one in the same! It’s a beautiful representation of the real world!
Attention boys and girls! Academia and the so called “real world” are also, sadly enough, one in the same! What are you guys gonna do next, agree with the A.S. Government that the whole school should wear dog collars- like it’s some twisted, homoerotic version of 1984?
Also, here’s a friendly reminder, in case you forgot:
bUk FiDy (1) – A.S. Government/Daily Aztec (0)
Dear Sandy,
I agree with Laura, if you were not there to write this article… “AS restructuring” would be unheard of on campus (except of course among those of us who are concerned by this process because our organizations are directly affected by this issue) and that there is the problem, AS makes no effort to get us informed and involved with student government unless they want our votes, that is when they decide to spend hundreds, and some even thousands of dollars on campaigns that put their names out there.
I hope that people reading this article know that there are more than 3 cultural organizations represented in AS…and we do not always agree on everything, so lumping cultural organizations would not be so great. And that none of these organizations are represented only once, the LGBTSU, AB Samahan, Afrikan Student Union, Association of Chicana Activists, Asian Pacific Student Alliance, Jewish Student Union, and MEChA, we only have one both and are autonomous organizations and do not belong to college councils.
Also, that with this restructuring most if not all of the diversity within AS runs a huge risk of losing a seat and voice in AS council. Thank you AS for sending us back to the era of Jim Crow and institutionalized discrimination against people of color, Women, working class, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans-gender community, and other historically under-represented groups. And before you say “this is not the 1960s or 1970s…” please remember that it was the exclusion and marginalization that we have institutionalized through this restructuring today what made the 1960s and 1970s and the decades before those what they are to us now. Thank you.
Manuel
In response to “The DA is a joke”:
Ah, haters gonna hate.
The two students interviewed and their lack of awareness of a major overhaul of their own student government IS news. I could’ve just written the story with that headline: Students unaware that A.S. is restructuring. But no, I gave the reader more than just that.
Let’s tally it up:
People Who Actually Know What The Subject Is (if we’re using your term) and were interviewed for this story:
Grant Mack, A.S.
Rob O’Keefe, A.S.
Tom Rivera, A.S.
Danielle Gilbert, A.S.
Krista Parker, A.S.
Mina Azim, A.S.
Laura Moreno, M.E.Ch.A.
Hmm, 7. That seems to be a good amount of “People Who Actually Know,” and I’m not even counting the individuals “in the know” who I attempted to interview but denied comment.
People Who Actually Don’t Know What The Subject Is and who were interviewed:
Susan Phay, student
Trevor Kerchner, student
They’re only two out of thousands who “don’t actually know.” The fact that there are thousands like them could be a story in and of itself, as I mentioned before.
Also, to clarify: it is not the media’s job to promote government. Journalists don’t promote anything. That’s the job of public relations specialists. I’m not a PR agent and nobody in our newsroom is either. I feel that most people could benefit from knowing the difference between PR and Journalism so that misunderstandings like the one you expressed above would happen less often.
You’re not alone though. I’ve even heard examples of people in A.S. who misunderstand the role of journalists. Could you be one of them? You sound mighty defensive, reader.
Sandy Coronilla
Asst. News Editor
The Daily Aztec
Sandy,
Do you think those kids really know what’s going on? Come on, are you serious?
The A.S. Government is a multi-million dollar business that operates under the guise of the University. The heads of that corporation are too smart and evil to allow it’s executive officers to know what’s really going on. All this vote does is make it easier for them to do business. The less student influence there is, the better. It’s a pretty simple concept…
bk50
I love how someone thought it “brilliant” to type my name in and say something as if it was me-HAHAHAHAHA!!! I didn’t post that last comment nor would I say anything that ignorant. I wont be surprises if you delete this comment…
I do apologize for the previous posts though.
What I do care about is the music department at San Diego State University,
which has done a fine job of educating me and my peers in
our musical endeavors.
Add me on FB if you like.
P.S- Frank Zappa Rulz!