Student Assembly

MINUTES
Student Assembly Meeting
September 11, 2003
4:45–6:30 P.M.
Memorial Room, Willard Straight Hall

I. CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 4:55 p.m.

II. ROLL CALL

Present: Melissa Ariate, Steve Blake, Josh Bronstein, Jessica Feldstein, Erik Gilje, Michelle Fernandes, Jason Jendrewski, Ashley Higgins, Erica Kagan, Julia Levy, Toby Lewis, Timothy Lim, Nick Linder, Lauren Martinez, Lisa Minich, Dena Ruebusch, David Skolnik, Orlando Soria, Stephanie Romano

Excused: Laura London

Unexcused:

Others present: C. Chrystyerson (‘05); K. Tendy (‘06); D. Lyon (‘04); J. Wu (grad); J. Barrera (grad); J. Sickelco (‘05); L. Davies (‘07), T. Nobles, T. Tsuei

III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes for September 4, 2003 were unanimously approved.

IV. OPEN MICROPHONE

There were no speakers for open microphone.

V. ANNOUNCEMENTS/REPORTS

Director of Elections
D. Ruebusch listed the dates important to elections She invited everybody to a candidates forum held on the 22nd. She asked people to submit questions for the forum to her because the elections committee and the Sun will be asking the questions. The meeting will be held in a town hall style. The 23rd and the 24th are election days. She said that we signed a 2 year contract with the online voting company because it was cheaper than a 1 year contract.

L. Martinez asked for the time and place

D. Ruebusch said the 1st floor lounge in RPCC, 7–9.

Internal Operations
D. Ruebusch said to please look over the committee assignment sheets to make sure everything is OK. Committee chairs need to submit a location and meeting time by Monday.

E. Kagan said the chair of the committee needs to submit a budget.

VI. APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST

E. Kagan said there were 2 appropriations requests that were unanimously approved, one for nametags ($138) and the other for the centerfold spread in the Sun ($600). Next week we will be going over new applications eligibility for by line funding and 2 weeks from now will be voting for re-authorization for returning groups. If there are any objections, it needs to be done next week because the rules say so.

E. Gilje asked will there be brand new nametags for everybody or will we re-use ones from last year?

E. Kagan said she recommended returning members use old ones when the appropriations committee asked the same thing. She said the centerfold being put in the Daily Sun is to introduce the candidates’ pictures and platform.

There was a call to question.

The appropriations passed by voice vote.

VII. BUSINESS OF THE DAY

R. 10, Resolution Commemorating September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks
N. Linder introduced the resolution. There were no speakers.

A call to question was made and 2nded.

R. 10 passed with unanimous consent.

VIII. OLD BUSINESS

Motion to Lift R. 1 from the Table
N. Linder explained the process of lifting a resolution from the table.

S. Blake as chair accepted the motion.

There was a call to previous question.

R. 1 passed with unanimous consent.

R. 5, R. 6, R. 7, R. 8, Resolutions regarding Slope Fest & Slope Day Programming Board
N. Linder said we can vote on the resolutions as a block or vote on them individually. Somebody can make that motion. There was a rule passed by the executive committee saying that questioning can last for 30 minutes.

S. Blake motioned to extend time by 2 minutes for the introduction and it was granted. He gave a powerpoint presentation outlining the new proposal for a Slope Day Programming Board. He also presented the new resolutions.

T. Lim said last year there were lots of underclassmen partying with the Greeks on Slope Day. Does the administration realize they imposed an increased liability on the Greek system last year?

S. Blake said he agrees that the responsibility was overflowing onto the Greeks and drinking outside of the slope was a big concern last year.

D. Ruebusch said $46,000 was left over from last year when Slope Fest wasn’t funded. What happens with it now?

S. Blake said $2 will be subtracted from the Student Activity fee.

M. Ariate said she sees the Programming Board as the same thing from last year, just a different name.

S. Blake said this year it is more centralized.

A. Higgins asked to have the new changes explained.

S. Blake went through the new changes, finding them to be friendly amendments. He used the slogan “Better bands, beer, and burgers.”

T. Lim said attendance was down last year and he wants to see an increase in non-alcoholic attendance because the SA is responsible for making everybody’s day special.

D. Skolnick asked how much of a difference will this really make?

S. Blake said there was a big lack of student participation last year and hopes to develop a body to advocate for students.

J. Bronstein said he recommends making a programming board of this body and asked why S. Blake didn’t do it?

S. Blake said having a committee and an independent commission is hairsplitting but important because we are not designed to make decisions, we are designed to program.

M. Fernandes asked what are the boundaries and limits to the administration’s control over programming?

S. Blake said he is hoping that by funding it with our money, we are putting students in the driver seat, and will give students more power.

S. Fernandes asked if the program is a subcommittee of the SA, won’t it work out?

S. Blake said he addressed that in the resolution.

D. Ruebusch asked is there any indication from the administration that they will chip in any money?

S. Blake said they haven’t talked numbers, but they have an implicit understanding that they will help out.

T. Lim asked will the students have significant say in the way things will go, or will it only be entertained?

S. blake said that being on the program board will help out a lot.

T. Lim asked is there any indication that the administration will talk about this again?

S. Blake said that it is not on the table but he hasn’t spoken with upper administration.

D. Skolnick said that when he ran on the save Slope Day platform, it meant to him no cops, no fencing and unlimited alcohol. He is worried that it is not a good party anymore and can we really save Slope Day, because he doesn’t see this changing the face of Slope Day.

S. Blake said that it doesn’t but they are trying to re-build their reputation.

D. Skolnick said so this is basically a no win situation?

S. Blake said it’s a no win.

A motion was made to move to debate and passed.

S. Blake said this is open to tweaking and he advocates it because they need to plain Slope Day with administration.

T. Lim said Slope Day was a disappointment last year and he is afraid it will be the same way this year. He feels we lost the initiative that we all ran on and we need to talk about how to make it better.

M. Ariate said this is a good way to make amends with the administration and Slope Day will never return to the way it was before.

D. Skolnick asked what is the jurisdiction that the SA has in regards to a resolution about no fences?

S. Blake said we can recommend it.

D. Skolnick asked if it would be seriously taken by the administration?

S. Blake said maybe, maybe not.

D. Ruebusch said she would like to compliment S. Blake on the non-alcoholic piece as an amendment.

T. Lewis said the resolution is a good stepping stone in terms of programming. If we can come up with data saying last year’s policies were more harmful than beneficial, then we will have more leverage.

A. Higgins echoed T. Lewis’ sentiments.

A motion to call to question was made and withdrawn.

A motion to group the resolutions into a single vote was made and passed.

The motion to call to question was made and passed.

Melissa Ariate Y
Steve Blake A
Josh Bronstein Y
Jessica Feldstein Y
Erik Gilje Y
Michelle Fernandes Y
Jason Jendrewski Y
Ashley Higgins Y
Erica Kagan Y
Julia Levy Y
Toby Lewis Y
Timothy Lim A
Nick Linder -
Laura London Y
Lauren Martinez Y
Lisa Minich Y
Dena Ruebusch Y
David Skolnik Y
Orlando Soria Y
Stephanie Ramono -

R. 5, 6, 7, & 8 passed, 15Y — 2A — 0N.

IX. NEW BUSINESS

J. Jendrewski will be presenting R. 11 next week.

X. ADJOURNMENT

N. Linder adjourned the meeting at 6:05pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Tyng Tsuei
Student Clerk