Few students attend AS meetings
By REUBEN CONTRERAS
On a recent Thursday night, the three executive officers of the university’s
student government prepared to start their biweekly business meeting.
Another 15 student senators of Associated Students gathered in the University
Student Union. In the middle of room 312 and 314, 20 chairs were assembled
as usual for students who were there on student business.
When Brent Hansen, Associated Students executive vice president called
the meeting to order, the five other students at the meeting had no trouble
finding a seat. That’s because the Associated Students officers
and senators outnumbered them nearly four to one.
On this night, two of the five students were newly appointed senators
to fill vacant Associated Students seats. And sitting in the front row
were Liza Bolanos and two friends. Bolanos, a senior, was there to ask
Associated Students to help in her letter writing campaign asking Gov.
Schwarzenegger to restore budget cuts to the California State University
system.
The low attendance at Associated Students’ meetings is not uncommon,
Associated Students officers say. And while they attribute the lack of
interest to Fresno State’s commuter school status, they still say
that Associated Students has initiated a number of successful projects.
On the night with the five students attending, Michael Karbassi, a former
city council candidate, was there to be officially confirmed as the new
senator of Student Affairs.
Karbassi said Associated Students meetings are sparsely attended because
students “are busy with classes and extracurricular activities and
they face a lot more distractions than ever before.”
Hansen said that, despite the low attendance at meetings, accomplishments
are made with or without the support of students. Some of those accomplishments
are paying for new laptops in the Madden Library and passing new election
codes for the student body election on April 20 and 21. Senators and executives
notice the low number of students at Associated Students meetings. “Getting
students interested in the meetings and getting feedback is a goal itself,”
Hansen said.
Associated Students senators and executives have done a number of things
to let students know about the meetings, Hansen said. On the day of and
the days before a meeting, senators and executives will announce in their
classes that a meeting is scheduled.
The Associated Students meet every other Thursday in the University Student
Union at 5 p.m. Hansen, a business major, said that meetings are open
to students.
Associated Students complies with state open meeting requirements. “AS
always follows the Gloria Romero Act,” Hansen said.
The Gloria Romero Open Meetings Act of 2000 says a legislative body of
a student body organization must conduct its business in public meetings.
All meetings of the legislative body shall be open and public.
Information about Associated Students meetings is available outside at
the AS office. The open meetings act says the agenda for a meeting must
be posted 72 hours before. Hansen said copies of the agenda are available
at the meetings. Minutes for the previous meeting are posted outside the
Associated Students office after the senators and executives approve them.
Associated Students President Molly Fagundes said the senators and executives
talk with students outside the classroom, as well.
“We use The Collegian. We have club and Greek visits to get the
word out about AS,” she said. “I believe going to club meetings
and talking to the Greeks is helping get the word out about AS.”
Sean Smith, senator of engineering, said Associated Students meetings
are always open to students.
“Whether it be in the office in the USU, our senate meetings, our
booth in the free speech area, our Web site, tailgates, The Collegian,
I encourage students to make contact with us.”
Smith, a civil engineering major, said senators make contacts with students
in the college department they represent. Each senator represents a specific
college on the campus.
“I frequently meet with the dean, associate dean and professors
within my college to better understand the current status of the campus
and the student body,” Smith said.
Hansen said nearly 20 senators and executives are available to talk with
students. Each week, senators serve one hour in the Associated Students
office at the University Student Union and one hour at the Associated
Students booth in the free speech area.
The Associated Students recognized the need for increased computer accessibility
in the Henry Madden Library. To help meet this need, AS made a donation
to the library, which gave 25 new laptops to the library for student use.
Hansen said. The cost of additional staffing to support the program was
also covered. Associated Students also provides funding for the readership
program.
The purpose of the program is to provide Fresno State students with free
newspapers on campus. The program started with USA Today and The Fresno
Bee.
“The program has seen increased circulation this year, and it is
expanding,” Fagundes said. On Feb. 10, Associated Students approved
a trial period for The New York Times, which began March 7.
This year, construction began on The West Complex/Student Recreation Center
a recreational and multipurpose facility for students, at the Save Mart
Center.
“Students were ecstatic to be involved in the planning process and
were eager to use the on-campus recreation facility,” Fagundes said.
Fagundes, an agriculture communications major, said the center will drive
home the message that physical activity and recreation are key elements
in the health and well being of active college students.
“The recreation center will provide a wonderful environment where
Fresno State students can work out without having to leave the campus,”
she said.
Associated Students, passed new election codes on Feb. 10, for the next
student body election. New policies, enforced by the election commission,
include that candidates may run only for one office each election.
Candidate must have their petition signed by members of the same school
or college department they would represent. The petitions are available
now through March 28, the due date to turn them in. Plus, there will be
no formal or informal campaigning within 100 feet polling booths.
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